At least two teenagers, who should have been in protective care, are being held in police cells at the General Security Directorate of Athens (GADA), prompting serious doubts about the state's ability to protect vulnerable children. The situation came to light after a report by The Manifold Files revealed that a 15-year-old girl, who has not committed any crime and is in need of protective custody pending a relative taking over her care, has been effectively imprisoned in GADA cells for at least a month.
The girl’s ordeal began when she was placed in a children’s hospital. After days of hospitalization, during which staff tried and failed to find a suitable care facility, she was moved to the police station of Kessariani and subsequently to GADA. This transfer was reportedly ordered by a prosecutor to address operational disruptions at the hospital and concerns about the teenager absconding. The inability to find an appropriate state institution has left her confined in a police facility, a stark failure of the child protection system.
Systemic Failures Exposed
This case is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a broader collapse in Greece’s child protection infrastructure. The teenager’s journey through state care—marked by multiple institutional placements, family instability, and a lack of psychological support—illustrates a systemic failure to provide safe and nurturing environments for children in need. The recent case in Kipseli, where an infant was found dead in a family freezer, brought similar failures to public attention, revealing the dangerous conditions under which some state-supervised children live.
According to reporting, the teenager in GADA has been on medication without proper specialist oversight, and her school enrollment was completed without necessary assessments for special educational needs. The lack of a comprehensive support system is evident at every turn, from her family background to her current predicament.
The Path to a Police Cell
The teenager’s history is one of instability and bureaucratic neglect. After losing her mother to substance use at age 10, she entered state care. Her placements included the “Agios Andreas” children’s village and later the “Meliti” adolescent hostel, which caters to teenagers with behavioral and psychological issues. Repeatedly running away from these institutions, she sought refuge with her uncle, who agreed to take over her care under a fast-tracked legal process.
However, the system offered no support to the uncle. He had to fight to access the girl’s medical records and was never connected with social services in his new city. No child psychiatrist was provided to monitor her mental health, and critical documents, such as an evaluation from the KEDASY, were missing from her file. This lack of support left the uncle unprepared to handle a child with complex needs, ultimately contributing to the girl’s return to state custody and her current confinement.
A Response from Authorities
The publication of the report prompted a strong reaction from Michalis Giannakos, president of the POEDIN (Panhellenic Federation of Hospital Employees). Giannakos confirmed the situation, describing the 15-year-old’s transfer from the “Agia Sophia” children’s hospital to GADA after ten days of failed attempts to find a care placement. “The colleagues at the children’s hospital tried to find a care unit, they hit a wall. Because the hospital’s operation was disrupted, the prosecutor ordered the child’s transfer and guarding to a police station and GADA,” he stated. “For many days, the child is in a detention cell due to the lack of a care unit. A disgrace for the state of social protection.”
Giannakos emphasized that this practice is a violation of human rights. “No, no. Children are parked in hospitals and now… we’ve completely ended up with children being imprisoned, essentially without having been convicted, without a sentence. It’s a human rights issue. It should not be allowed to happen,” he told in.gr. He also noted that another child is believed to have been transferred to GADA recently for the same reason, highlighting a deeply troubling pattern.
Broader Implications
The case of the teenager in GADA underscores a critical failure in Greece’s social and legal systems. Children who are victims of family breakdown and state neglect are being treated as offenders, confined in facilities meant for lawbreakers. This approach not only fails to address their underlying needs but also exposes them to further trauma.
The lack of available and appropriate care institutions is a key issue. The system’s response to vulnerable children often involves emergency placements in hospitals or police stations rather than proactive, long-term solutions. This reactive approach is unsustainable and harmful, leaving children in limbo and without the specialized care they require.
Securing Care for the Teenager While Systemic Failures Persist
The immediate focus is on securing a suitable placement for the teenager currently in GADA. However, the long-term challenge is addressing the systemic issues that lead to such crises. This includes increasing the number of qualified care facilities, improving access to mental health services, and ensuring that social support is provided to families and caregivers taking on state-supervised children.
The question remains whether the authorities will take decisive action to prevent similar cases in the future or if this will be another episode in a long history of systemic neglect. For now, the teenager's fate hangs in the balance — a measure of the human cost of institutional failure.
