Probe launched into assault on girl amid bullying claims

Police in Thessaloniki are investigating a report according to which a primary school pupil was forced by fellow classmates to lick a toilet seat.

A juvenile prosecutor, Dimitra Tsiardakli, is also involved in the probe into the case, and is expected to summon parents, teachers and witnesses in a bid to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The regional education department for Central Macedonia has launched a parallel investigation.

According to the account given by the mother of the 7-year-old girl, she was forced by classmates to lick a seat of a toilet in the school restroom last Thursday.

Describing the incident as “an extreme case,” regional education governor Alexandros Koptsis told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that he had interviewed teachers at the school and that disciplinary action would be taken if any of them are found to have displayed gross negligence.

The girl’s mother is reportedly planning legal action.