Thessaloniki police arrest father after two toddlers found unattended on city street

Discovery on Vasileos Georgiou Avenue

Pedestrians walking through central Thessaloniki encountered two young children wandering alone on a public pavement on Sunday, 20 September 2026. The two sisters, aged two and four, were found moving along Vasileos Georgiou Avenue during the middle of the day. Passersby observed that the toddlers were walking without an accompanying adult and intervened to prevent them from moving toward roadway traffic. The witnesses promptly contacted police emergency dispatchers to report the unattended minors.

Law enforcement response and identification

Police officers arrived at Vasileos Georgiou Avenue shortly after receiving reports from the public regarding the unaccompanied children. Investigators determined that the two girls had left their family home, which was situated close to the sidewalk where pedestrians discovered them. Authorities identified the supervisor in charge of the girls as their 31-year-old father, a national of Ghana. Officers established that both girls had managed to escape his supervision before walking out onto the public street.

Arrest on child endangerment charges

Following the initial inquiry at the scene, law enforcement officers took the 31-year-old father into custody. Police formally booked him on criminal charges of exposing minors to danger under Greek law. The charges follow the determination that the two toddlers remained on a public sidewalk without adult oversight, creating potential safety risks. The case remains under the administration of the local police authorities in Thessaloniki following the arrest on Sunday.