Greek police are investigating the death of a Roma girl from Romania who was crushed to death by a sliding door last month.
Factory manager
A 44-year-old factory worker who operated the door was arrested in late November for „negligence” in the incident, Keep Talking Greece reported. The factory manager was also detained.
The girl’s mother and grandmother were also taken into custody for “neglecting a minor.” They were later released.
The factory is 2 km away from the girl’s home, Greek state broadcaster ERT reported.
A shocking video later emerged showing how the 8-year-old girl was crushed to death by the sliding factory door.
Romanian media reported the story for the first time on Saturday, expressing outrage. „A little Romanian girl died in terrible agony, trapped in a metal factory door in Greece. Nobody tried to save her,” said one headline.
„Shocking case in Greece. A Romanian girl died after she was crushed by a door. Witnesses at the scene ignored her,” another read.
Dying
Footage from security camera broadcast by Greece’s Star TV show how factory workers ignored the little girl as she lay dying in front of them on November 17.
They do nothing to help. At one point a worker kicks the girl to see whether she is still alive.
Greek media reported that the girl entered the factory yard at about 5:30 p.m. on November 17 in the Kerastsini suburb of Piraeus.
Trapped
As she tries to leave she is trapped by a sliding metal door which crushes her. Nobody tries to help her.
For 20 minutes the little girl seems to be struggling to breathe, but no one goes to help her.
A factory worker passes by the girl, turns his head and walks away. He returns but instead of helping the child, he heads to the warehouse.
Footage shows him talking on his cell phone, passing by the little girl. He hangs up the phone and keep on walking.
Video
At 17:55:02: the video reportedly shows an employee passing by the little girl who was trapped between the door and the wall. He glances at her but doesn’t approach her.
17:57:13 the door finally opens and the girl falls to the ground. Two workers approach, and get out a flashlight. They take a few steps back, chat among themselves and walk away.
At 18:05 a car drives by the body of the little girl. Factory workers were told to immediately leave the site, they told investigators.
At 18:31 a truck enters the premises; it is unclear whether the driver sees the child. At 18:34 the door closed again and Olga is trapped.
Medical examiner
The medical examiner’s report states that her death was slow and painful. She was trapped between the metal door and the wall for 70 minutes.
She died from suffocation and internal bleeding, as the heavy door crushed her spine.
The girl’s family and their lawyer claim the death was racially motivated.
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