Greece opens emergency investigation into alleged assault on Egyptian minor in migrant camp

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek Supreme Court prosecutor launched an emergency investigation Thursday into the alleged beating and sexual assault of a 16-year-old Egyptian boy in a migrant camp outside Athens.

Four other Egyptians housed at the facility, aged 16, 17, 18 and 21, were arrested in connection with the alleged attack on the state-run refugee center in Malakasa, west of the Greek capital, police said.

The four male suspects were arrested on charges of sexual assault and serious bodily injury, according to authorities.

Greek Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos described the incident as “deeply disgusting”, while his deputy, Sofia Voultepsi, announced an investigation into security procedures around the camp for unaccompanied minors.

Voultepsi said the number of unaccompanied minors from Egypt in Greece is increasing due to the activity of criminal gangs active in neighboring Libya.

Under Greek regulations, unaccompanied minors who arrive illegally in the country are not subject to deportation.

“Of the total of 2,588 unaccompanied minors (registered) currently in the country, 1,341 – so more than half – are Egyptian,” Voultepsi told private Skai television.

“These children are taken from poor villages in Egypt,” she said. “The criminals are taking them to Tobruk, Libya. According to the testimonies we have, they are often beaten and ill-treated in the camps there and with the intention of involving them in criminal activities.”