Authorities in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, are investigating a serious child-abuse case involving eight siblings aged between two and fifteen. The concerns were raised by “The Smile of the Child,” a prominent Greek child-protection organization, whose president, Kostas Giannopoulos, described the situation as “far worse than we imagined.”

According to Giannopoulos, the organization had supported the family between 2020 and 2022 without noticing anything suspicious. However, beginning in March 2022, a series of distressing reports from local residents alerted authorities to what was happening behind closed doors in the family’s home.

Emergency hospitalization of toddler

One of the earliest and most serious incidents occurred in March 2022, when a 2.5-year-old child was found to have ingested six sedative pills. The child was rushed to hospital, placed on a ventilator and remained in intensive care for several days.

Reports of drug use, violence and neglect

Additional incidents were recorded in 2022, 2024 and 2025. These included allegations that a toddler inhaled drug fumes while sitting next to his father, as well as reports of physical and verbal abuse. In one case, a child was found with burn injuries.

Giannopoulos stressed that formal reports were filed with prosecutors after every incident. One previous case led to the father’s arrest and a short prison sentence.

“The scale of what these children experienced has shocked us,” he said, adding that some of the children remain hospitalized and that “the abuse continues” because of the lack of long-term care solutions. He also noted that more residents in Crete have begun reporting suspected child abuse, leading to a rise in documented cases.

Children placed with a relative

The eight children have been placed in the care of a relative following a prosecutor’s order, pending the outcome of the investigation. All of them will be examined by a forensic specialist to determine whether—and to what extent—they suffered physical harm.

Legal proceedings under way

The children’s mother, 32, and father, 44, were arrested and charged with domestic violence and multiple counts of bodily harm. They have been referred to a fast-track court and are expected to stand trial on Friday, 5 December.