Younger brother of brutalized boy also victim of abuse

The younger brother of a 5-year-old boy who is in critical condition in northern Greece after suffering a brutal beating is also a victim of extensive physical abuse, police in Alexandroupoli said on Tuesday.

Officers investigating the circumstances that brought the 5-year-old to hospital with massive head injuries found that his 3-year-old sibling is also in a “terrible mental and physical state,” an announcement said, with evidence of violence all over his body.

Police believe the boys were abused by their mother’s boyfriend, who has a record of robberies and drug use.

The suspect, who police said is aged 30 and not 40 as initially reported, has been arrested along with the mother and his parents, who allegedly were aware of the violence and did nothing to stop it.

The 5-year-old is being transferred from Alexandroupoli General Hospital to an intensive care unit for children at Thessaloniki’s Ippocratio Hospital, the ANA-MPA news agency reported, adding that the 3-year-old is said to be out of danger.

ANA-MPA said that examinations of both the boys revealed evidence that they had suffered long-term abuse.