Couple arrested for allegedly forcing pregnant woman to beg

Police in Thessaloniki have arrested two foreign nationals – a couple – for allegedly a fellow migrant woman to beg on the streets of the northern port city even though she was at an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Among other crimes, the 51-year-old man and the woman, 53, are being accused of endangering the 34-year-old mother and her unborn infant.

According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, police approached the 34-year-old woman following reports from members of the public who were concerned that she was on the streets all day begging in her condition.

She reportedly told investigators that she entered Greece illegally in October with the 53-year-old woman, who then put her up in the couple’s home. There, the couple used physical and psychological violence to force her to beg and hand over her earnings. She also said that the man had tried to rape her.