‘They were chasing him — three people — he was acting in self-defense,’ said the father of the 17-year-old who admitted to stabbing a 15-year-old boy during a deadly brawl in Kallithea, Athens, on the night of Wednesday, 24 June. The teenager died from a stab wound to the chest.
A fatal confrontation on Agia Eleousa Square
The incident unfolded shortly after 11:30 p.m. at Agia Eleousa Square — at the intersection of Megalopoleos and Kremou streets — where two groups of teenagers, aged 15 to 20, clashed violently. What began as a verbal dispute between an eight-person group (including the 17-year-old suspect) and a smaller group of three quickly escalated. The latter called for reinforcements, and soon after, a black car arrived carrying the 15-year-old victim and four others.
Chaos erupted: participants chased each other, exchanged punches and kicks, and at least one knife was drawn. The 17-year-old confessed to police that he stabbed the 15-year-old in the chest — a wound that proved fatal.
Father’s statement and ongoing investigation
In an interview with newsit.gr, the suspect’s father insisted his son acted in self-defense. ‘What exactly happened will become clear from the case file. Right now, no one knows for certain how events unfolded. My child was attacked — chased by three people and beaten. He was defending himself,’ he said.
According to reports, the suspect returned home normally after the incident — only to be located, summoned, and arrested there by police. ‘My son is deeply distressed and fully aware of what he has done,’ the father added. ‘Both my wife and I are in a very difficult psychological state.’
Investigators continue probing the full circumstances. Early indications suggest the two groups had been locked in a prolonged rivalry over control of the same public square in Kallithea — a territorial dispute that culminated in this fatal confrontation.
Victim’s background
The 15-year-old victim was identified through fingerprint records, as he had prior contact with law enforcement. Reports indicate he was arrested about two weeks before the incident for riding in a car containing a folding knife; the driver was a 19-year-old. He had also been detained in February 2025 — though the nature of that arrest is not specified in available information.
Seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. The 17-year-old faces criminal charges for homicide; the legal proceedings will determine whether his claim of self-defense holds weight under Greek law.