Authorities in Northern Greece have launched an investigation after medical examiners concluded that prolonged malnutrition caused a three-year-old child’s death from organ failure and cardiac arrest.
The three-year-old boy was taken shortly before noon to the University General Hospital of Alexandroupoli, where doctors confirmed he was already deceased and displayed severe signs of undernourishment.
Autopsy details in child starvation death in Greece
Forensic findings suggest the boy may have died approximately 24 hours before he was transported to the hospital.
Investigators in Greece are now working to determine the length of time he had been deprived of adequate nutrition and whether warning signs were overlooked.
Greek police arrest mother and prepare to file charges
Police have arrested the boy’s 23-year-old mother on suspicion of endangering a minor. A criminal case file is being prepared for the prosecutor, who is expected to pursue formal charges based on forensic evidence and investigative reports.
The mother lived with her parents in a Roma settlement near Alexandroupoli. All three are being questioned by Greek authorities and are expected to appear before the prosecutor as the investigation progresses.
Investigation expands in the case of a child who died of starvation
The inquiry has widened beyond the immediate household to examine broader social and living conditions that may have contributed to malnutrition. Authorities reported that the family’s two other children show no signs of undernourishment, though social services are conducting further evaluations. The children’s father, reportedly of Turkish origin and working abroad, was not present.
The case has sparked widespread concern in Greece, prompting demands for a full accounting of the circumstances leading to the child’s death and for scrutiny of whether systemic or social service failures may have allowed sustained neglect to go unnoticed.
