Children’s charity.

A 6-year-old boy died in a blaze that broke out at a temporary refugee reception facility near the town of Thiva, northwest of Athens, on Tuesday night. In a report yesterday, state broadcaster ERT said that the fire service was notified at around 9.20 p.m. on Tuesday night about a fire in a building inside the facility and dispatched eight firefighters in four vehicles to the location. The boy, a member of a family of seven, had already been pulled out of the building but was unconscious, while some of his family members were injured. The child’s nationality was not released. The firemen were initially barred from entering the structure by its residents. It was not clear why they were prevented from entering. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the blaze.

The Smile of the Child charity presented 15 proposals yesterday for the prevention of sexual abuse against minors and the treatment for victims, inviting members of the public to sign a relevant online petition. “Sexual abuse happens next to us. It takes courage, constant work and good practices to be properly dealt with by everyone involved,” the Athens-based non-profit child welfare organization said in a statement. Among these proposals are calls for the introduction of sex education in schools from primary level and the recruitment of professionals who come into contact with children only after they have been properly vetted and undergone a full psychiatric evaluation. In addition, it calls for all professionals involved (police, prosecutors, teachers, doctors, social services) to receive specialized training and for teachers and doctors who report a case of child sexual abuse to be legally protected. The petition is at https://meneimystiko.gr/petition/