Special Consular Services
Information for American Victims of Crime in Greece
If you are the victim of a crime in Greece, staff of the Special Consular Services Section of the American Embassy in Athens or the American Consulate General in Thessaloniki are prepared to assist you.
What we can do:
- Help you replace a lost/stolen passport.
- Help you find appropriate medical care if you are injured.
- Assist you with emergency needs that arise as a result of the crime, such as finding shelter, food, or clothing.
- Help you contact your family, friends, or employer if you wish to contact them.
- Explain how and where you can report the crime to local law enforcement officials.
- Provide you with general information about the criminal justice process in Greece.
- Provide you with information about resources for crime victims in Greece.
- Provide you with a list of attorneys who practice in Greece and who speak English.
- Provide you with information about crime victim assistance resources in your state of residence if you are returning to the U.S.
What we cannot do:
- Provide legal advice or represent you in court.
- Serve as an official foreign language interpreter or translator in legal proceedings.
- Pay legal fees or other expenses for you.
- Request preferential treatment for U.S. citizens in Greek legal proceedings.
General Information about the Criminal Justice Process in Greece:
- Crimes can be reported to the local police or to the prosecutor.
- The police and courts usually provide interpreters for victims and witnesses.
- If you report the crime to the police, we suggest you ask for a copy of the police report. This report can be helpful in submitting insurance claims and in applying for crime victim compensation in the U.S. Greece does not operate a compensation program for victims of crime.
- To obtain information about the progress of the criminal case in Greece, we recommend that victims of crime hire an attorney to represent their interests in the case. The victim's attorney may examine evidence, provide additional evidence to the prosecutor, inform the victim of case events, and request restitution from the offender for damages caused by the crime. If you desire, you may ask your attorney to update the consular section of the Embassy on case progress.
- During the pre-trial stage, the police take the victim's statement and investigate crimes. The victim may be asked to give additional evidence or another statement.
- Police reports of serious misdemeanors and felonies are sent to the examining magistrate who examines the evidence and may question the victims and witnesses.
- Trials are generally open to the public except for juvenile court proceedings.
- A panel of judges usually presides over a trial. Jury trials are rare in Greece.
- During the trial, the judges always require the victim to appear in court, with the exception of small children. If the victim resides in the U.S. and is summoned to appear in court as a witness, the Greek government usually reimburses the victim for the cost of coach-class airfare from his/her home, class B hotel accommodations during the trial, and a small compensation payment for each day spent in court.
- In court the victim is typically questioned by the president of the court, the public prosecutor, the other members of the court, and the defense counsel. The victim's attorney may also participate in the trial by questioning witnesses.
- As far as the media are concerned, Greece generally has a tradition of outspoken public discourse and a vigorous free press. The mass media are known to publish names and photographs of victims without their permission.
Contact Information for the American Embassy and Consulate: The Embassy in Athens and the Consulate General in Thessaloniki represent two consular districts. Embassy Athens is best able to help you if you are in the central and southern regions of Greece.
The Consulate General in Thessaloniki assists Americans in the northern regions of Macedonia and Western Thrace as well as Thassos and Samothrace.
American Consulate General Thessaloniki
43 Tsimiski Street
546 23 Thessaloniki
tel: 2310-242905
fax: 2310-242927
email: mailto:info@usconsulate.gr
Internet: http://thessaloniki.usconsulate.gov
If you return to the United States and need assistance in locating victim services in your community, please contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, Consular Affairs Bureau, U.S. State Department, 2201 C Street, NW (SA-29, 4th Floor) Washington, D.C. 20520, Phone 202-647-5226.
Internet Sites that Provide Information Related to Victims of Crime and Victim Assistance:
- Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/
- National Center for Victims of Crime: http://www.ncvc.org
- Victim Assistance Online: http://www.vaonline.org
- National Children's Advocacy Center: http://www.nationalcac.org/
- National Children's Alliance: http://www.nca-online.org
Contact Information for Victim Resources in Greece
Counseling For Women Victims of Violence
The Reception Offices offer legal advice, psychological-social support, information or referral to other social services.
The program also has a hotline for abused women: SOS telephone line: 210-331-7305.
Athens Office: 11 Nikis Street, tel. 210-331-7305/6.
Piraeus office: 76 Alkiviadou Street, Athens, tel. 210-411-2091.
National Center for Immediate Social Assistance E.K.A.K.B.
The Center and its six offices throughout Athens provides crisis counseling and mental health treatment for social and emotional problems. The Center also operates a crisis counseling telephone line: SOS (hotline) telephone 197.
Main office in Athens: Queen Sophias 135; tel: 213-203-9706.
Center of Family Support of the Archdiocese of Athens (KESO)
The Center provides shelter and other services for women who are victims of abuse.
95 Akadimias Street, Athens, tel. 210-381-1274, 210-384-1536.
The Smile of the Child: Intervention by trained social workers, psychologists in cases of children in danger or physical harm, sexual exploitation or abuse, 16 Stournari Street, 106 83, tel. 210-3306140, email info@hamogelo.gr, 24 hour help line “1056”.
I.K.A. Child Mental Health Center: 17 Arahovis & Ippokratous, 106 80 Athens, 210-360-4919, 3641-681, fax, 210-360-1903, email, childika@otenet.gr
Athens Police Emergency Squad
Dial 100. This unit controls all patrols cars for the Athens and Piraeus police departments and has immediate access to area police precincts.