Public opinion in our country appears extremely divided, though not the scientific medical community, which seems to agree on a very interesting view and direction, regarding the recent action of an elementary school teacher in Loutraki, who reported a six-year-old student to the Greek Police for inappropriate touching.
Loutraki: What apparently happened
The incident occurred at the 1st Elementary School of Loutraki about a week ago, but has only now come to public attention.
The teacher reported to police that the boy, a first-grade student, “inappropriately touched” her in the classroom when the child allegedly went to show her an assignment he had completed.
Initially, the teacher went to the principal of the 1st elementary school and reported the incident, with the principal reassuring her that it was nothing unusual, as we’re talking about a six-year-old child.
When she subsequently went to the police station to file an official complaint, officers called the six-year-old child’s parents to inform them.
The parents, considering the teacher’s behavior extreme, then filed a report with the Primary Education Directorate of Corinthia.
Can one file a lawsuit against a six-year-old? Absolutely not. However, one can file a complaint against a six-year-old, who always has immunity from prosecution in any case.
“The only way to activate the services”
Indeed, circles from the Ministry of Citizen Protection explain to us that “it might have been the only way for the teacher to trigger the activation of the competent prosecutor’s office toward investigating the living and educational conditions of the six-year-old student, especially if there are other behavioral elements from the six-year-old that are known to the teacher and, certainly, she was obligated to contact the authorities and competent services.”
What the experts say
On their part, however, child psychiatrists in Athens, who spoke with parapolitika.gr, despite not wishing to comment officially and publicly on the alleged incident, as telediagnosis is medically unethical, and there may be other related elements to the case that have not come to public attention, nevertheless categorically deny that filing a complaint with the Greek Police regarding a six-year-old “cannot, under any circumstances, be socially and institutionally acceptable,” while one of the child psychiatrists we spoke with explained something very important:
“Sexual harassment by a six-year-old cannot exist”
“The issue of sexual harassment by a six-year-old cannot be scientifically supported in any way. Beyond that, there are other competent social services that one can turn to in order to ‘report’ alleged antisocial or even strange behavior by a six-year-old minor child.”
Finally, circles from the Ministry of Citizen Protection also explain that “following this complaint, the most likely outcome is the activation of the competent juvenile prosecutor, the juvenile probation service, the competent prosecutor’s office, as well as the social services of the relevant Municipality, in order to investigate the social and family environment in which the aforementioned six-year-old lives and is being raised.”
It goes without saying that none of parapolitika.gr’s interlocutors accepts as normal or acceptable this cycle of public statements to the press and electronic media of our country, local or national, particularly from the six-year-old’s teacher herself.
