Femicides in Greece Rise 36.1% Over the Past Decade, Shocking New Figures Show

The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN), Michalis Giannakos, has sounded the alarm over the rise in domestic violence, femicides, and child abuse cases in Greece, presenting figures that, he says, are deeply concerning and expose serious shortcomings in prevention and social protection mechanisms.

According to Giannakos, 49 femicides committed by spouses or individuals from the victims’ close family environment were recorded between 2023 and 2025, compared with 36 cases during the 2013–2015 period. This represents an increase of 13 cases over a decade, or 36.1%, highlighting what he describes as a worrying upward trend. Notably, 19 femicides were recorded in 2025 alone.

“As a country, we struggle with prevention rather than crime-solving, since law enforcement authorities eventually manage to do their job,” Giannakos said, stressing that expressions of sympathy for victims are not enough and that meaningful state intervention is required.

The POEDIN president called for the development of a robust social protection network for families in need, aimed at ensuring early intervention before incidents of violence escalate into tragedy.

Giannakos also described the situation regarding abused and neglected children as particularly alarming.

According to him, around 70 children are currently being accommodated under prosecutorial orders at Greece’s two largest pediatric hospitals — “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital and “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital.

The figures, he noted, underscore the growing scale of child neglect and abuse cases, placing additional pressure on the country’s healthcare and social welfare systems.

According to Giannakos, this number is excessively high and reflects both the rising incidence of child abuse cases and the lack of adequate welfare facilities to accommodate and support vulnerable minors.

At the same time, he noted that the prolonged stay of these children in hospitals creates serious operational challenges for the country’s two main pediatric hospitals, which receive patients from across Greece on a daily basis for surgeries and specialized medical treatments.

Michalis Giannakos called on the state to take immediate action to strengthen prevention efforts, expand appropriate social welfare services, and establish an effective protection framework for women and children at risk.