Tragedy in Messinia: a child drowned in a swimming pool while his mother was working

Six-year-old boy dies in swimming pool private house in Gialova municipality of Pylos-Nestoros in Messinia. His 32-year-old mother at that time worked as a cleaner in a two-story house and, according to preliminary data, was on the top floor.

The tragedy occurred on the afternoon of July 2. In circumstances that are still being established, the child ended up near the pool and probably fell into the water. After some time, the mother found her son unconscious and called for help.

What is known so far

ΕΚΑΒ was called to the scene. Rescuers began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, after which the child was taken to the Pylos Health Center. Despite the efforts of doctors, the boy could not be saved.

Pylos police are conducting a preliminary investigation and a forensic examination has been ordered. The child’s mother was detained as part of the procedure provided for in the investigation of death due to negligence. This is a procedural measure, not a conclusion about her guilt.

According to local media, the woman is in serious psychological condition. The family lived in Gargagliani, and acquaintances describe the mother as a person who was very attached to her son and cared for him.

Swimming pool and a few minutes

Such tragedies are especially cruel because they sometimes only take a few minutes. Water leaves no time for reflection, explanation or second chances. Even a shallow pool becomes deadly if a child remains nearby without constant supervision.

But there is another, uncomfortable question in this story. The mother did not relax by the pool and did not leave the child for fun. She worked. She cleaned someone else’s house because she probably needed to earn a living.

What to do with children in summer

What should a single mother do in the summer, when school is closed, there is no money for a nanny, and she must go to work? This question usually does not appear in police reports and is not included in a short news story about “negligence.” But it is he who often finds himself at the center of such tragedies.

Many working parents, especially those involved in seasonal work, cleaning, hospitality, cafes, restaurants and agriculture, have little or no child care available during the summer. Children’s camps cost money, municipal programs are limited, not everyone has relatives, and the employer is rarely willing to adjust the schedule to the reality of the family.

As a result, parents are faced with a choice that should not exist at all: leave the child alone, take him with them to work, or lose their earnings.

Editorial comment

The investigation must establish what exactly happened and whether safety rules were violated. But turning this story into just an accusation against the mother would be too simple and too convenient.

The woman lost her only child. Any legal procedure will be difficult for her, but no case will become a punishment worse than what has already happened.

At the same time, the tragedy in Gialova reminds us of a problem that the state and employers prefer not to notice: thousands of mothers continue to work in the summer without a real opportunity to leave their children in a safe place. Especially in tourist areas, where the season requires labor but does not always offer families any support.

A child should not end up near a swimming pool because his mother had to choose between her job and her son’s safety. As long as this choice remains a normal part of the lives of poor and single parents, such tragedies will be repeated, and each time society will pretend that this is just a private family drama.

Sources: To Vima, Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών, CNN Greece.

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