With the implementation of a scenario for the identification and treatment of a victim of trafficking, the three-day exercise for the fight against human trafficking “Medusa 2022” started today in Athens.
The first day of the exercise focuses on Laiko Hospital, which is a reference hospital for victims of trafficking. According to the script of the exercise, a 30-year-old Syrian woman named Leila Bissoron was found in a semi-voluntary state in the center of Athens. He was transported by EKAB ambulance to Laiko, which was on duty, and the doctors found that he had serious injuries and burns all over his body. A girl who claimed to be her sister appeared at the hospital accompanied by a lady who claimed to know her. A medical examiner, who examined her, ruled that her injuries were due to obvious torture, so men from the Anti-Trafficking Department of ELAS arrived at the hospital, who took testimony from the woman, and began the relevant investigations.
The “Medusa 2022” exercise with the central motto “Break the chain, break the silence now” is being conducted under the supervision of the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Voultepsi, and with the support of the Directorate of Internal Affairs of the European Commission.
As Ms. Voultepsi pointed out, “the most critical moment in the investigation of a possible trafficking case is the identification and transfer of a potential victim to the hospital”, so it is very important all the staff, from EKAB to doctors, nurses, the social service, the safety and the Administration of the hospital, to be all educated and suspicious “. The Undersecretary added that “it is important for everyone to know that Laiko is the reference hospital. “Our presence there today was intended to mobilize the entire staff of the hospital with two goals: to provide immediate care to the victim and to encourage him to speak, to break the chain, to break the silence.”
The “present” in the exercise was also given by the Deputy Minister of Health Zoe Rapti, who explained that in the People’s Hospital “there is an immediate pathological, surgical and neurological examination. It also has psychologists and social workers, so that in cooperation with an interpreter from the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, it can effectively help the victim to report the incident, in order to unravel the tangle of the trafficking network by revealing the perpetrators “. According to the data cited, in 2020, 167 victims were reported to the National Reporting Mechanism for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings, of which 93 were adults and 74 were children. “These figures obviously do not capture the full picture, as unfortunately the surviving victims of trafficking are only the tip of the iceberg,” he added.
The exercise involves all the services of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health, the Greek Police, Europol, EKAB, the National Reporting Mechanism for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, the European Asylum Organization and the non-governmental organization A21. Also the embassies of Belgium, Cyprus, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. The commander of the exercise is the chief of staff, Kalli Saini.
Greetings from the President of the Republic and ministers
The President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, sent a greeting for the exercise in a letter, describing the trafficking as “silent, dark, inaccurate crime” and “barbarism that invalidates the values ​​of our culture and injures the very concept of humanity”. Ms. Sakellaropoulou points out that the State must respond with “severe prosecution and punishment” of those involved in the relevant circuits, along with “protection, care and solidarity with the victims” and emphasizes that “multiple synergies at the level of public administration are required.” , private initiative and civil society “.
In his congratulatory letter for the organization of the exercise, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, points out that the exercise “is an important step in our effort to build a stable, preventive, protective and effective prosecution framework, which is necessary to combat trafficking.” of people “.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Mina Gaga, in her message recognizes trafficking as a very important problem in Greece as well, as it is a “crossroads between worlds” and characterizes as “key” the plan to deal with trafficking, noting that the Ministry of Health helps with every way to deal with the injuries and the mental health of the victims.
Finally, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Maria Syregela, emphasizes that the network of structures for women victims of violence is on standby. The network includes 43 counseling centers throughout Greece, 19 hostels and the free 24-hour line 15900.
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