Patras: parents of malnourished four-month-old boy arrested, charged with attempted murder

Arrest after hospital admission

Police in Patras arrested the parents of a four-month-old boy on the evening of Thursday, 12 November. The father is 21 and the mother is 26, according to reports. The pair face a charge of attempted murder by omission, committed jointly with possible intent, together with a domestic violence charge. Health authorities alerted police, who then opened an inquiry into the conditions in which the child lived. Police said the preliminary investigation attributes the boy's condition to systematic starvation, and the family lived in a Roma camp, according to reports. They were due to be brought before the prosecutor of the Achaia court on Friday, 13 November.

Hospital treatment

The boy was taken to Karamandaneio Children's Hospital on Wednesday, 11 November, in critical condition, showing signs of malnutrition and wounds on his legs. Medical staff described his condition on arrival as shocking, and iefimerida.gr reported that his physical development matched that of a ten-day-old newborn. Doctors moved him to the paediatric intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Patras in Rio, where he was intubated. Reports published on 13 November say the boy has been extubated, his condition has improved and he has been moved back to Karamandaneio for further care.

Rodent bites and the investigation

The cause of the leg injuries has not yet been established, and they may have been caused by rodent bites. iefimerida.gr reported bite marks from mice on the child's body. Dermatologists were to examine the boy's legs on Friday, 13 November, at the order of Patras's new forensic doctor, NEWS 24/7 reported. A forensic examination was also ordered, and the doctors who gave the boy first aid have been called to give statements as part of the preliminary inquiry. Police are questioning people and examining the family environment to establish responsibility.

Concerns over the next step

Michalis Giannakos, president of POEDIN, confirmed that the boy had escaped the immediate danger and is expected back at Karamandaneio soon. He warned that the boy could remain in hospital for social reasons, because Patras lacks suitable welfare structures. He called for social services to intervene in Roma camps to check living conditions and prevent abuse and neglect. A paediatric surgeon at Karamandaneio told iefimerida.gr that Patras has no children's residential home, and said authorities should place the boy in a suitable structure or with a foster family as soon as possible. A protocol from the justice ministry's committee on handling abused children is still pending implementation, and the forensic services protocol for child abuse cases is still awaited.