The father of a 4-year-old student has given his own account of the physical assault on the principal of the 1st Kindergarten in Ano Liosia, admitting that he struck the educator following a tense confrontation at the school. Speaking to MEGA television, he claimed he had “lost his mind” over what had happened and admitted that he entered the school and hit the principal. “I was so worked up about the teacher that I walked in and yes, I hit her — I slapped her twice,” he stated. He also claimed that police took his 4-year-old daughter to the police station to give a statement without her mother being present. “The police took my 4-year-old girl to the station without her mother there. They took her statement without anyone present,” he said.
Ano Liosia: Video of the attack on the principal — she is heard screaming “help”
Earlier, a video emerged showing the moment the parent attacks and strikes the school principal, following a tense altercation over the way she had been speaking to the children. The video was filmed on the principal’s own mobile phone and captures the moments after the assault began. The educator is seen crouched on the ground trying to protect herself, while a man in a white shirt strikes her on the head. She is heard screaming “help,” while at another point she responds to the parent: “Yes, you are hitting me.” The man is heard demanding an explanation for the way she had shouted at his child, with the confrontation continuing for several more seconds.
The incident follows the release of an earlier video from the kindergarten, in which the principal is heard shouting aggressively at young children, blaming them for damage she claimed had been done to the premises. Among other things, she was heard saying: “I’ll cut your hands off.” Passersby had also intervened at the scene, protesting the way the educator was speaking to the children. According to information that has come to light, the trigger for the outburst was damage to a school item, in a facility that had recently been renovated under the “Marietta Giannakou” programme.
It should be noted that earlier, authorities arrested a mother following a complaint filed by the kindergarten principal, while a complaint has also been filed against the father — the husband of the arrested woman — for causing bodily harm. The parents facing charges are Roma.
“The kindergarten principal is in serious condition,” says her lawyer
It has been confirmed that the principal is hospitalised in serious condition, according to statements made to ERT by Dionysis Anastassopoulos, Deputy Director of Primary and Secondary Education in Attica. The educator has reported being physically assaulted by relatives of pupils, and a formal administrative inquiry is already underway. Mr. Anastassopoulos described it as “an incident that wounds the school community,” stressing that zero tolerance applies to any act of violence, regardless of who commits it. “An order has already been issued for a formal administrative inquiry to examine what happened before and after the incident. The Athens First Instance Prosecutor has been informed, as has the Juvenile Prosecutor, and of course the police authorities. We are awaiting the outcome of the inquiry and the preliminary investigation before reaching any conclusions,” he stated.
At the same time, he characterised the widely circulated video — in which the principal is recorded telling young pupils “I’ll have your hands if you damage anything at this school” — as taken out of context. He placed particular emphasis, however, on the condition of the injured educator, stressing that this was not a minor injury. He also noted that her underage child had been present during the incident.
“The principal is hospitalised not with minor scratches but in serious condition, and she is the mother of a minor child who was present when she was injured — which adds an additional dimension to this case. You are basing your judgement exclusively on one video. I am obliged to follow a specific protocol, and I cannot release further information publicly during an ongoing confidential administrative inquiry, in accordance with my professional responsibilities.”
The principal herself is reported to claim that following the initial incident she was attacked by individuals present at the scene and had to be taken to hospital with injuries to her face and head. Mr. Anastassopoulos made clear that responsibility will be assigned once the investigations are complete and where findings warrant it, adding that he had not personally received any prior complaint against the head of the kindergarten.
In parallel, steps have already been set in motion to cover the staffing gap created at the school, as well as to provide support for both pupils and teaching staff.
“She is seriously injured and is recovering. From tomorrow morning, the order to fill the staffing gap comes into effect, and above all we have reinforced the school, as the Minister of Education has stepped in to provide a psychologist and a social worker,” said Mr. Anastassopoulos, giving assurances that the school would continue to operate normally.
Finally, he referred to the procedures followed when complaints are made against educators, noting that in this case the investigation must be completed before any conclusions are drawn. “Educators are reviewed, dismissed and referred for disciplinary action for bullying, but we cannot simply condemn the mother of a young child in this way — especially given that I am the disciplinary supervisor,” he added.
