A 14-year old girl was treated with knife wounds after she was reportedly attacked by another teen last Wednesday afternoon at a school in the Kypseli district of Athens, Greek authorities said. The violent incident, one of many similar juvenile assaults among teens recently in Greece, occurred at the 15th Athens Junior High School, which shares facilities with the 60th Junior High School. The girl suffered an injury to her hand, reportedly caused by a knife.
According to sources, the 14-year-old girl was taken bleeding to the school principal’s office before an ambulance transported her to the Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital for treatment.
The alleged perpetrator has been taken to Athens police headquarters, where officers are questioning her. Teachers from the school are also present to give statements, police said.
Speaking to Mega TV, a representative of the Hellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers said the victim was fortunate to be alive as she managed to block the knife with her hand before striking her abdomen, resulting in a hand and arm injury.
According to another student, the alleged attacker had been transferred to the school recently due to reportedly exhibiting problematic behavior.
According to clinical psychologist Ilia Theotoka, it is estimated that roughly between 4,000 and 5,000 Greek teens are treated annually in medical facilities with injuries due to juvenile violence.
“The causes are many,” notes Theotoka. “There are the wars that have been raging for years, which accustom children to violence when they see leaders killing civilians and innocent children without consequences. There are also video games and the many hours spent online from the early years of primary school, where children are exposed to violent content.”
She added that, particularly since the economic crisis, families often lack the time to engage with their children. “What does that mean? It means juvenile delinquency increases without families even noticing it,” she said.
