A mother in Ermoupoli, the main town on the Greek island of Syros, has reported being surrounded, insulted and pushed by a group of roughly 15 teenagers in the town's central square while her young son and nephew stood nearby.
According to a named account she gave to the local outlet CycladesLive, the incident happened on the morning of September 11, 2026, shortly after the annual blessing ceremony that marks the start of the school year. She said she was in the square with her son, her five-year-old nephew and two of their classmates.
She said a group of about 15 teenagers was in the square at the time, apparently arguing and hitting one another. She told the teenagers that punches were not a game, in an attempt to calm the situation, according to her account.
She said several of the boys then surrounded her, hurled abuse at her and that one of them pushed her, in front of the small children who were with her. She said she raised her voice and warned the group she would call the police, at which point, she said, they ran off toward nearby Kotsodonti Square.
The woman also alleged that a short time later, a 12-year-old boy became a target of the same group, who she said pulled down his trousers and humiliated him. These claims are presented as her personal testimony, and it has not been confirmed whether a formal complaint has been filed with the police.
Mother says situation has "gotten out of hand"
The woman, described as visibly shaken by the experience, appealed to parents to know where their children are and how they behave when out without supervision. She said the situation had gotten out of hand and that she feared the square no longer belonged to children but to groups acting without any control.
She added that she had felt vulnerable on her own island, saying she had traveled widely and had never come across anything like it before.
Background
Ermoupoli is the capital of Syros and of the wider Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea. The blessing ceremony referred to in the report is a traditional service held in Greek schools each September to mark the opening of the academic year.
