A prosecutor’s investigation is underway following statements by the president of The Smile of the Child, Kostas Giannopoulos, that reports had been made since 2022 regarding the problematic family environment of the 16-year-old, who was remanded in custody for the fatal beating of a 17-year-old in Serres, a crime that shocked the entire country at the beginning of 2026.
Specifically, the head of the Thessaloniki Appeals Prosecutor’s Office, Leonidas Nikolopoulos, ordered a preliminary investigation by the Serres Prosecutor’s Office to examine these allegations as well as the actions taken by the competent services following the reports from The Smile of the Child, according to voria.gr.
17-year-old’s death in Serres: No order given for children to leave home for protective environment
As Mr. Giannopoulos had stated in his declarations, an urgent investigation had been ordered in coordination with the prosecutor’s office, emphasizing that The Smile of the Child does not have the right to enter a home despite allegations. However, as he noted, despite the reports, no order was given for the children to leave the home and go to a protective environment, whether family-based or a protection facility.
It is recalled that on the morning of Epiphany, the entire country was shocked by news of the 17-year-old’s death, whose parents had been anxiously searching for him since the previous evening. Just as they went to report his disappearance, his sister found the minor dead in the basement of the house, with the case quickly turning into a thriller. Forensic findings showed severe injuries throughout the 17-year-old victim’s body, however the 16-year-old who was arrested admitted to hitting him once during an argument because he had sent a message to his girlfriend.
From the very first moment, testimonies spoke of the 16-year-old’s problematic family environment, with his parents using drugs, while he himself had displayed delinquent behavior from a young age.
