Greece - Unreasonable Police Brutality Against a Woman

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Greek Riot Police

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uploaded by alepouda

Uncalled-for Police Violence in Athens

Assault and battery against a young woman who was later arrested and humiliated

Is it possible to be the victim of police brutality for no given reason?

This is a ghastly scenario that rips reality and introduces us to a new parallel world. These last days Greece entered into the frightful awareness of that parallel world discovering that Freedom, Democracy and Justice are just words ironically floating over daily police brutality, political hypocrisy, corruption and rising fascism.

The overflowing irrationality and all the cases of blatant injustice cured the nearsightedness of many people, who are now in a state of shock.

And it’s hard to believe the truth, when you grew up in a make-believe world.

Myrto, a 26 year old girl from Greece was the victim of unreasonable police brutality, in front of her mother. She didn’t hold a stone or a firebomb, she wasn’t protesting or had anything to do with any demonstration.

The Facts

Monday 15 December, around 14:00,

Myrto left her house and headed to the closest Metro station, on foot, with her mother. They live in Gyzi area, close to Athens Police Headquarter (GADA). Two blocks away from GADA, they were stopped by the police. They were not supposed to go any further. While her mother was asking some information from one of the police officers, Myrto stood waiting, across the street.
Then one of the riot control officers went to her and started yelling and cursing at her, telling her to go. Myrto replied to him “Believe it or not, I am waiting for my mother”, pointing at her.
In no time 4 policemen attacked her. They kicked her on the back, knocking her down on the street. Myrto started shouting and swearing. Her mother yelled in panic and pleaded with them to leave her daughter alone. She tried to reach and help her but she was stopped by other policemen. Myrto was now down on the street, with her arm behind her back. The policemen while holding her at that position repeatedly kicked her on the stomach, the legs, the ribs, swearing at her with vulgar and sexist words.
Myrto tried to escape. She moved arms and legs fiercely and managed to free herself for a while. She was outnumbered by the officers, who later arrested her.

On their way to GADA, the officers continued to verbally assault her and once again kicked her on the back - her mother witnessing the whole thing. When she asked why she was arrested, she got not reply.
They reached the 11th floor of the Police Headquarters; a number of teenagers were there, pulled about by the officers.
They put Myrto into a room. A 17-year-old boy was there, crying. Two men in their thirties, smartly dressed, did everything they could to break her, yelling and swearing. She was bossed around and kicked on the back.
Myrto had to spend about 3.5 hours at the police headquarters. The officers systematically tried to humiliate her, assaulting her verbally and psychologically.
They searched her bag and found a camera. They asked her repeatedly if she was a journalist. Myrto replied that she wasn’t.
She didn’t have her Greek Citizen ID with her, but she did carry her English university card, student card etc. When the officers saw the English documents they were infuriated and started asking her what she was doing in Greece.
Myrto told them she came to her home city to spend Christmas with her mother. They did not believe her – they suspected her of being a foreign journalist, a “rat” etc...
They saw the photos she had taken in the last couple of days during the riots in Athens and threatened to seize the memory card.
Later on, the boy’s advocate entered the room. She started discussing the case of the 17-year old and when she tried to approach Myrto, she was stopped by the officers; they told her that the girl already had an advocate, who was outside the room.
The lawyer replied that the person waiting outside was the girl’s mother, who had just appointed her to act as Myrto’s lawyer. It was then that Myrto found out that the accusation she faced was “civil disobedience”.
They let her go. She went to the Hellenic Red Cross Hospital. It was full of young people, teenagers.

Outside the room on the 11th floor of the “Headquarters” - the lawyer being present - an officer tried to be funny:
”Think of the bright side. We took you for 10 years younger; this is why we brought you here in the first place!”

These were the facts and - scary as it may sound – this is not a single case. Many people have had experiences like that with the police. Myrto now is in state of recovery. Nevertheless the police didn’t break her and she is preparing her next moves. Her first thoughts are to gather cases of police brutality - as many as possible – and proceed with a massive prosecution against all accountable.

Relative information:

Through this link you can hear her interview on a City 99,5 Radio Station (greek)

A blog was created to gather accusations of the victims in all cases concerning police brutality and authority abuse.

http://policeviolence.blogspot.com/

greekpoliceviolence@gmail.com