The mother of the family that had been living in a squalid apartment in Peristeri is pregnant with her seventh child. The pregnancy was confirmed by the family’s lawyer, Anastasia Kerchanatzidou, speaking on the television program Alithies me ti Zina. However, she said she wanted to clarify certain points.

“It is true, we confirm that she is pregnant. I want to clarify some things, because initially, when someone hears this, they may form a certain opinion. This family had been living in fairly good conditions on the island. An urgent need arose for the family to move to Athens, where they returned. They had rented an apartment with fairly good conditions, but the previous tenant had not vacated the property on time, so they were forced to stay for a few days in this specific dwelling,” Ms. Kerchanatzidou said.

“This was not our permanent way of life,” says the father

The father of the family described the conditions discovered by police in the Peristeri apartment as an isolated incident caused by gastroenteritis.

He claims that the filth found both in the house and on the children resulted from the illness, which the mother was unable to handle on her own while he was working most of the day.

The father also stressed that his family is close-knit and appealed to the state to show its social support so the family can remain together for the benefit of the healthy psychological and physical development of the six children.

What the father claims

“The family I created with my wife is my whole life. I work continuously and hard to provide for my six children, forced to work most of the day without ever complaining about it. We are a close-knit and loving family.

The incident that became public was by no means a permanent way of life. We were forced to stay for a few days in the rooftop dwelling until our move to our new home was completed.

Unfortunately, cases of illness (gastroenteritis) that affected my family manifested as an isolated incident, which my wife could not manage on her own with six children inside that small house.

I ask the state to show its social face and, instead of severe condemnation, to assist us as it should so that we can keep our family together for the benefit of our children’s healthy psychological and physical development,” the father reportedly said, according to statements aired on Alithies me ti Zina.

“The children, aged 8 and 9, wore diapers – they were like little soldiers”: New allegations about the family

The case in Peristeri, involving children living among filth and garbage, has shocked public opinion.

As became known yesterday afternoon, the two parents who were arrested were sentenced by the summary court to 16 months in prison each, convertible to a fine of 10 euros per day. At the same time, the court granted suspensive effect to their appeal.

“The children wore diapers”

According to testimony from a woman who had known the family since around 2019, the minors showed visible signs of neglect. Speaking on ANT1’s morning show To Proino, she described the children as frail, often frightened, and highly dependent on their mother’s reactions.

Particular concern was caused by claims that the family’s two daughters, aged 8 and 9, still wear diapers.

“I’ve known them since around 2019. They changed houses often, but they moved around this local area. I knew the children quite well. I would see them daily for certain periods. They were frail, pale, visibly neglected, had skin problems and damaged teeth. They were children with strong signs of neglect. You could feel that these children were also under psychological pressure. They needed to get silent approval from their mother through eye contact. They were like little soldiers. The two girls, who are 8 and 9 years old, still wear diapers. The eldest daughter had to repeat a school year, and the mother presented it as something positive, saying the older and younger daughter would be together and the older one would help with lessons,” she initially said on the program.

Describing another incident involving the family, she added:

“They frequently visited a food establishment. They chose to sit at three different tables: the parents with the two youngest children, the two boys at another table, and the two girls at a third. The two parents would order one portion of food, feed the two youngest children a little, while the two boys and the two girls sat without food. When the parents finished eating, the mother would order another portion and divide it among the other four children.”