4/7/98: Nea, page 15.

Underage Roma Gang Falls into Police’s Hands

Two Roma youngsters (17 and 15 years old respectively), members of a very dangerous gang of rapists, fell into the hands of the police. It took approximately two years for the police to get them. One of the reasons for the special police forces’ raid on the Aspropyrgos camp two years ago was the capture of these gangsters, who had wounded one of the policemen during the investigation that preceded the raid. The raid itself shocked everyone. Policemen invaded the camp and attacked indiscriminately and with remarkable brutality men, women and children alike. Four of the seven members of the notorious gang have been arrested during the last two years. There is only one person left who has not yet been arrested. In February 1996 the band killed one person, while trying to rob him. Furthermore, an abundance of rapes have been registered on the youngsters’ criminal records.

A rather negative report. Even though the reporter recognizes the brutality showed by the police during the Aspropyrgos camp raid, the way in which the criminal acts of the suspects are described somehow legitimizes the motives behind this brutality. The highlighting of Roma identity is used as an implicit explanation of the suspects’ criminal behavior (i.e. Roma are criminals by nature). All this is done without taking into consideration the relation between Roma criminality and their poor living conditions and social exclusion. With the highlighting of the Roma identity, as well as of the age of the suspects, the reporter shows that these two factors are not seen as extenuating circumstances.

4/7/98: Eleftherotypia, page 55.

Underage Gang Members

Related to the incident mentioned above (i.e. the capture of the two Roma youngsters).

In this case, however, the reporter does not highlight the Roma identity of the suspects. Furthermore, he avoids mentioning their names, respecting the fact that they are underage. A neutral report.

7/7/98: Nea [Prokopis Yokakas], page 22.

He Enchained Himself to Get Water And Electricity for the Roma

Eight Roma families living in the area of Tarsina, in the prefecture of Corinthia, have for a long time been demanding from the local municipality to supply them with electricity and water. Twenty days ago, they were officially informed that they are not entitled to have water and electricity since they had arbitrarily settled down in the area, which is private property. A schoolteacher, Mr. A. Nikolaides, who has dedicated his life to teaching Roma children, enchained in protest to the municipality’s inertia and as an act of alerting both the media and the public about the difficulties that Roma people encounter on an everyday basis. ‘‘We are helpless. These people live under unbearable conditions and nobody seems to be interested in them,’’ says Mr. Nikolaides. ‘‘In this way, they are trying to discourage us and kick us out of this place. They think that our presence will be the cause for the devaluation of their fortunes.’’ The president of the local board, Mr. Christos Liakos, in his turn, claims that he is in a very difficult position. He wants to help the Roma but the latter have to understand the fact that they cannot arbitrarily settle down on the private property of others.

Also:

13/7/98: Eleftheros Typos, page 29.

Cry for Help for the Roma

13/7/98: Eleftherotypia, page 49.

Schoolteacher - Prisoner of Sensitivity

Well-balanced reports with some positive hints, showing understanding and support for the struggle against the social exclusion of the Roma. There is also considerable criticism of the Greek authorities’ bureaucratic attitude towards the Roma population.

9/7/98: Eleftheros Typos [D. Hatziefthimiou], page 23.

I Killed My Cousin in Self-defense

Kyriakos Vilanakis who, together with four other people, killed his cousin Vassili, went to the police station of the town of Larissa and confessed guilty of the murder. He claimed that he did not want to kill his cousin but was forced to do so when he realized that the cousin set fire against him. He denied that the murderer was his father, Kostas, who had disappeared since then. The reason for this ‘‘civil war’’ in the Vilanakis family was the allegation that Kostas Vilanakis had accepted the offer of the local board to sell his house, leave the village of Yannouli and persuade the rest of the Roma residents to join him.

A neutral report.

9/7/98: Nea, page 16.

Eleftherotypia, page 49.

Reallocations for the Roma Settlement

The Ministry of Health decided to reallocate all kinds of resources for the Greek Roma population. Money will be given exclusively to those municipalities and institutions that have already implemented at least some of the undertaken projects. For example, it is estimated that 560 million drachmas have been given so far for the housing of the Roma and the improvement of their living conditions. The program for their training (1.1 billion drachmas) is still in process. There are some functioning centers for advice, entertainment and support for Roma in N. Liossia, Megara, Agia Varvara.

Neutral reports, without any further comments.

15/5/98: Eleftheros Typos [Thanassis Argyrakis], page 25.

Rominhood

Thanassis Nikolaides is a schoolteacher who abandoned his peaceful life in Athens and went to live together with the Roma in Corinthos. A few days ago, he decided to enchain himself, in protest to the authorities’ inertia towards the Roma. This was a clever way of attracting the public attention. His real chains symbolized the bonds of the Roma social exclusion and marginalization and condemned the unbearable conditions under which Roma have been living since 1970: with no running water, electricity, toilets; with poverty, diseases, illiteracy. Forty-six souls (30 of whom are children) have been forgotten in the middle of nowhere. Only one child, out of 30, goes to school. ‘‘Who says that the rest do not want to go to school?’’ Mr. Nikolaides wonders. Roma children, who live in such conditions are more than undesirable. All they know is what Mr. Nikolaides has taught them. Some of the kids can read and even write in Greek. He tries to prepare them for the Greek public primary school; help them adjust to school reality; make them love school and escape from misery and illiteracy. Meanwhile, he fights for more practical things: for the covering of some elementary needs such as medical treatment, water supply and electricity.

A very positive report focusing on the everyday problems of the great majority of Greek Roma and highlighting two of their major difficulties: illiteracy and social exclusion.

15/7/98: Avgi [D. Kokotaki], page 9.

Greek Roma, Organize Yourselves!

A month ago, representatives of various Roma associations from all over Greece founded the Panhellenic Federation of Greek Roma Associations. The reason for the creation of this Federation was the need for the best possible representation and defense of Roma rights in Greece. In this way they wanted to make it crystal clear that Roma people can cooperate and put aside their differences. Social exclusion and marginalization are the main problems of the Roma communities in Greece and the Federation hopes to deal with them in a very determined and pragmatic way. Poverty and unemployment are also some of the motives that urged the Roma to ‘‘go for it.’’ They went for their dreams and for the real defense of their rights as Greek citizens. Within this perspective they openly proclaim their Greek national identity, saying that they are first Greek and then Roma. Some very interesting data came out from the Roma meeting that preceded the founding of the Panhellenic Federation. According to the representatives who participated in the meeting, Roma have been living in Greece for around 1,000 years. Nowadays there are approximately 500,000 Roma living in Greece.

A very positive report in favor of the initiative.

17/7/98: Eleftherotypia [Olga Koliatsou], page 31.

Roma: The Victims of the ‘Velvet Revolution’

The Czech Republic: The most thorny question in this country is related to the Roma population. Officially there are some 200,000 Roma there. Social exclusion, poverty and marginalization are the rule, rather than the exception. It is estimated that around 87% of the population refuses to accept the Roma and to welcome them as neighbors. So far, dozens of Roma have been attacked and killed by skinheads but no judge saw these incidents as racially instigated.

A very positive report. Although it deals with a country, which is distant and much different from Greece, some parallels are unavoidable. Roma are an easy target almost everywhere. In the eyes of politicians and non-Roma citizens, Roma have always been and, still are, the scapegoats. This is the deepest message transmitted through this report.

24/7/98: Nea, page 11.

Twelve-Year-Old Girl in Coma Because of Drugs

A 12-year-old Roma girl of Albanian origin was found almost dead in downtown Athens. The girl was in coma. According to the doctors who examined her in the hospital where she was transferred, the coma had been caused by an overdose of drug pills. The police investigated the case but could not find out who provided the girl with drugs. The girl herself denied that she had been given pills, claiming that somebody slapped her on the face and she lost consciousness.