On Sunday, two Roma children approximately ten years old were hospitalized after having sustained serious head and body injuries. The children are well-known in the wider area between Acropolis, Thiseio and Koukaki, since they play an acordeon and a flute to beg for money in the tourist part of Athens.
The children, Tsipri and Joseph, were previously arrested and booked by cops of the Neos Kosmos police department, along with a young girl. During their detention at the police department the children were punched and kicked by sadist pigs. As a result, one of the children sustained serious injuries and profuse bleeding above the eyes, while the other suffers from pain on the sides and has bruised eyes. People who work locally went to the police station immediately to find out what happened.
Cops said the children were fine at the time of their release, but later returned to the police department bleeding and ”unfairly” blaming the cops. The hospital has initiated ex officio proceedings to investigate the circumstances and the reasons behind the assault. Until Sunday afternoon the officer on duty pretented to be unaware of what had happened at the police department and refused to provide the names of the cops who arrested the children. At the same time, the officer was repeating cynical excuses for the delinquency of the ten year-olds and attempted to blame the whole thing on retribution.
Despite the widespread phenomenon of police violence in Greece, it is unacceptable to tolerate incidents of brutality and assault against children. Probes never lead anywhere. In a country drenched in racism and classism, the poverty and ethnic background of these children guarantee that the perpetrators will remain unpunished. According to the latest information the children will remain hospitalized.
A rally against police brutality will be held tonight at Fix at 7 pm.
Zero tolerance for police violence
Zero tolerance for racism
Solidarity is our weapon
