Unprecedented rise in youth violence in Greece

Shocking data on the growth of violence among minors, up to 52% per year, said the Minister for the Protection of Citizens, Takis Theodorikakos.

The ministry is openly communicating with the school community, he clarified, in an effort to deal with the alarming phenomenon that has been recorded across the country.

These are dangerous “games” in terms of “who is cooler”, for dominance between schools and neighborhoods, bloody fights, cruel “showdowns”. During the year, the number of minors who cause bodily harm between the ages of 8 and 14 increased by 52%, and the number of cases of violence among minors increased by 16%.

Many of the incidents were even recorded in schools, and there is a trend towards an increase in bullying and bullying. According to official figures from the Greek police, in the previous year almost one minor per day was beaten in Greece.

“We have opened channels of communication and information with the school community to deal with this phenomenon. At the same time, very soon we will create a special department for combating juvenile delinquency,” said the Minister of Citizens’ Protection, announcing creation of a specialized service to deal with ever-growing incidents, as he said in his speech on ANT1.

In the last week alone, three violent attacks (“showdowns”) were recorded in the vicinity of Athens: in Metamorfosi, Agia Paraskevi and Iliupoli. In only one case were authorities able to locate juvenile delinquents, who do not hesitate to show strength, “strike” even on busy streets during rush hours.

“Incidents are really hundreds. For the time being, the police should intervene “like a policeman” in these “non-childish games” when events have taken a dramatic turn, but still the main burden should fall on the school and family. Very great efforts must be made to ensure that young children, especially adolescents, are not involved in similar offenses by their peers.“, Takis Theodorikakos noted.

In addition to the increased incidence of juvenile delinquency, the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection also trying to “slow down” the alarming rise in domestic violence cases. From the first day of the year 6 special offices ΕΛΑΣ settled 2000 similar incidents.

The total number of complaints filed with the police across the country reaches 6,000. “We are talking about a modern plague, we are talking about an extremely difficult situation. This is a huge social issue that requires cooperation, vigilance from many sides to achieve significant results,” says Takis Theodorikakos.

In Kallithea, Menidi, Thessaloniki, Volos, Larissa, Chalkis, Agrinio, Ioannina, Serres, Chania and Heraklion, 12 new domestic violence departments will operate. They will be staffed by 180 trained police officers, 50% of whom will be women. In fact, 10 out of 12 departments will be led by female police officers in order to create suitable environment for receiving complaints.

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