Little children are begging at traffic lights in the streets of Athens

With my car I drive to the streets of Athens. Somewhere near an area called Keratsini  I stop at a traffic light. There comes a little girl and cleans my glass. I give her 1 euro. She smiles at me and  says "thank you". Then she goes to the next car. Beside her are  two more  young children.

I park the car , I  go down and approach them. I ask the kids their names . They are Katerina, Dimitris and Giorgos. When I tell them I'm a journalist, the two disappear. "We're afraid of the cameras. Our parents will ruin us " Only Dimitris is left. A beautiful brunette boy with a permissive look.



He tells me he cleans the car windows all day. "Where are your  parents ?" I ask him. "My parents are separated. My mother kept my 4 sisters at home. My father took me because  I am a boy and we live in the street. I clean the windows and with the money we get food because my father does not find a job ".




He asks me if I can help him get into a foundation. "I know a lot of kids who are in a foundation. There they will give me food, clothes and a soft bed. I will not sleep on the road. And I will not be so tired, "he tells me. "And I will probably see my mother more."




In the times of  economic crisis  in Greece  the  children  who work or beg are  unfortunately growing, while many are forced to leave school.

FEAR DOUBLE-LOCKS GREEKS IN THEIR HOUSES

When the sun sets, the fear reigns in neighborhoods of the center of Athens. The residents are being double-locked in their homes, do not open to anyone and do not go out without escort even if it is needed ... Mrs. Anna who lives near the police station of Agios Panteleimonas can not forget the day when a robber threw her violently down for to grab a bag with her purse and a box of sweets. Even if she is trying to  forget she  can not  because after the fall broke her hip and since then she is released with a cane ....


Mrs. Anastasia returned to her home in Victoria Square. She had put the key to the door when two men stroked her in the face and dragged her into her house and stole her money and gold. From that day he shakes from fear  every time he needs to get out



This elderly woman has often faced thieves who wanted to get into her house saying lying to them as electricians. "We are imprisoned," he told me

Thieves steal that they find in front of them. Bags, purses, mobile phones. Even stunning lights like they did at the entrance to the block of flats with this elderly concierge

Women working in the center of Athens can not work late because they are afraid. This woman always goes to work with her husband. Ηe leaves her at the door and returns in the afternoon and takes her.

Residents of the center of Athens are calling for more policing to feel safe again

Watch my report here:

Newborn baby abandoned dead

A new born baby was found dead today in Athens. The boy who was born 4-5 days ago was abandoned at the entrance of an apartment building. The unfortunate infant has a head trauma, had blood all over his body and still had on it the  umbilical cord. It was found covered with a  forehead. Citizens of Nea Smirni found it and informed the police station and the hospital. But it was too late 

In  the times of economic crisis a lot of babies are being abandoned. The police inestigates the case and seeks for the babie`s parents

Citizens of Athens sleep with a gun under their pillow

Mr Theofanis Panagopoulos is 90 years old. He lives in the center of Athens (Polygono). He has a gun near his bed and he is ready to use it if a robber enters his house. "I will shoot him. I am not afraid. I have a licence for the gun. I  am sure that a lot of Greek people have guns at their houses" he says. 

Burglaries happen every day even beside police stations. This happens to Papagou area . This woman lives only 300 m from the police station but the robbers took everything from her house to Imitou street.

At the same area  an elected woman at the municipality posted at facebook that she was robbed but there was none at the police station to help her 

Watch my story here: http://www.alphatv.gr/news/society/koimatai-me-tin-karampina-exaitias-ton-epidromon-liston-sto-polygono