Ten officers quarantined after contact with infected refugee

Ten officers from the Attica's Police's headquarters (GADA) in Athens and a police station in Oropos, east Attica, were placed in quarantine on Thursday after it was revealed that they had come into contact with an asylum seeker who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The asylum seeker, a 38-year-old Afghan man, visited the police station of Oropos last Saturday (April 18) with his wife and his 10-year-son to report that his child had been raped in the camp of Malakasa where they reside.

The camp in Malakasa has been quarantined since late March, after numerous refugees were found to have been infected with the virus.

The alleged attacker was detained and brought to GADA’s juvenile protection division with an interpreter and a witness to testify. The 10-year-old child was examined by a doctor.

Police sources said that after the test result for the Afghan father came back positive, the headquarters and police cars used to transport the refugees were disinfected for precautionary reasons. The ten officers will also be tested.

The alleged perpetrator, a 27-year-old asylum seeker, was sent before a prosecutor who pressed charges for rape and was released pending trial.