Outrage has erupted following an incident of bullying at a primary school in Rhodes, where fellow students reportedly forced an 8-year-old boy in second grade to drink water drawn from a toilet cistern. The incident occurred on February 26 and was reported to local authorities by the child’s parents — prompting immediate concern among families and raising broader questions about student safety and school climate.
Details of the Incident
According to reports by the local newspaper Rhodiki, during recess, a classmate filled a plastic bottle with water after flushing the toilet cistern twice. He then handed the bottle to another student, spat into it, and together they pressured the second-grade pupil to drink its contents. The incident was corroborated by several classmates and confirmed by the school’s administration, which stated it is fully aware of the situation.
Broader Concerns and Response
Charalambos Psaras, Deputy Regional Director of Education for the South Aegean, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) that this is not an isolated case. He noted a marked increase in incidents of student-on-student violence across all levels of education — both inside and outside school premises — in recent years.
Psaras emphasized that coordinated actions have already begun in collaboration with educators, psychologists, and social workers from KEDASY (the National Centre for Social Solidarity), aiming to address the incident using scientifically informed, appropriate interventions.