“My body still hurts from the wood I have eaten and my soul from the humiliations I have suffered. “However, the greatest abuse I have suffered was being abandoned in the institutions by my mother, I could not bear this trauma neither then nor now”.

Argyris Oloktsidis, a retired teacher, expressed the physical and psychological abuse he suffered for 13 years in two orphanages with this heartfelt testimony, speaking at an event organized by the “Justice Initiative: The European campaign against child abuse” » with the cooperation of Justice Initiative Greece, Terre des hommes Hellas and the Network of Foster Parents and Volunteers for Social protection of minors.

As Mr. Oloktsidis said, art and especially writing was what helped him survive in the institutions where his mother, a widow with 7 children, left him.

“I understand with my mind my mother who was forced to put her three children in orphanages but the little child in me cannot understand her,” she added while another survivor of child abuse, 82-year-old Alexandra Bafataki spoke of the horror she felt that the director of the orphanage where she grew up, she was calling her name…

No help to complainants

Data for Greece from the “Our voice” survey, which is ongoing in 29 countries with the participation of people who have suffered abuse, was presented by Nina Vaaramen-Valkomen from the organization Protect Children and a psychotherapist at Interpol. children who have been victims of abuse.

In Greece, 1100 people participated, most of whom revealed the abuse they have suffered at the age of 45-54, while childhood abuse remains a taboo for men, as in an overwhelming percentage, they find it difficult to express it.

“Most people – more than 50% – in Greece stated that they were abused at the age of less than 10 to an extent that had to do with touching, an act that was repeated many times. Usually the perpetrators are men, over 35 years of age close to the child who feels ashamed to confide in him and in many cases finds the courage, after 20 years when, depending on the legislation, the statute of limitations for the offense arises” said Mr. Valkomen emphasizing that upon disclosing the event to relatives or elsewhere, the victims stated that they were not helped by anyone afterwards.

She found commonalities in abuse in all the countries where the research is conducted, noting that the long-term consequences of managing the trauma or not being able to disclose include various mental health problems or panic attacks.

“The only way to stop child abuse is to break the silence on this phenomenon which is not new. Most people experience shame and this is the bet, it is a silence that benefits the abusers and shames society” he emphasized from the side the director of the Greece node of the Justice Initiative organization Angeliki Vergitsi. The Thessaloniki municipality’s structures for abused women and children were mentioned by the deputy mayor of Thessaloniki for childcare, family and civil society, Theodora Leipsistinou, mentioning, among other things, the Hostel for abused women and her children operated by the municipality since 2013 and since then a total of 110 women and 106 children have been accommodated.

Lack of interconnection of social services

The president of the Network of foster parents and volunteers for the social protection of minors, Eleni Georgiou, spoke about the lack of coordination of social services regarding issues of abuse as there is no single national monitoring system for people who have engaged the authorities in such matters. He also added how no evaluation report has been made for all the institutions that exist in Greece, while there is no interest in foster care for children aged 10 and over.

Anna Georgiadou, social worker, reference person for the sexual abuse of minors in the Municipality of Thessaloniki, representative for the preparation of the National Action Plan for the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, mentioned the necessity of a sex education course in schools.

“Our main tool for dealing with the issue is knowledge, sexual education and a healthy relationship with parents. A properly informed child is less likely to be a victim of abuse and also less likely to conceal it.”

As part of the workshop held in the “Manolis Anagnostakis” hall of the Thessaloniki City Hall, portraits from the “SHAME – European Stories” project, a collection of 100 portraits of adult victims of child abuse from all over Europe sponsored by Council of Europe.

The “Justice Initiative” is a European organization created by the Guido Fluri Foundation, in Bern, Switzerland, in 2021. The institution has at the center of its mission the justice of victims of child abuse throughout Europe. The Organization acquired 14 national centers (hubs) throughout Europe, one of which is located in Greece.