The Doctors of the World have called the Alternate of Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas to respond to an alleged instance of police brutality against unaccompanied child refugees at the Moria hotspot on Lesvos last Friday.
According to the serious allegations, a police officer was hit by a rock during a clash between refugees at the hotspot. In response, the police officer in question later punched one of the underage refugees and threatened to deport him to Turkey if he reported the incident.
It appears that a group of 12 underage refugees from Pakistan reacted to the threat and were transferred to the police department in Mytilene, where they held from 3am to 2pm the next day. The Doctors of the World claim that the 12 children were forced to stand in a seated stance, without their knees touching the ground. Anyone not complying was reportedly assaulted by the police officers.
After the 12 detainees were returned to the Moria hotspot, they were examined by doctors who confirmed that they were in a state of physical and emotional shock. Some of these children had bruises on their wrists, head and elsewhere. The doctor referred them to the Mytilene Hospital, where it was alleged that police officers were present and actively interfered with the process.
