NEWS

Eight in 10 say they are victims of crime

Eight out of 10 residents of central Athens claim to have fallen victim to a mugging, theft or burglary, according to the results of a study carried out by the University of Athens and Panteio University.

The findings coincide with a wave of violent crime in the capital which peaked on May 10 with the fatal stabbing of a 44-year-old man who had been preparing to drive his pregnant wife to the hospital.

The two Afghan men charged with his murder are to face an investigating magistrate on Wednesday. They claim that a third man – a Pakistani who remains at large – played the leading role in the attack but allegedly have admitted to selling the victim?s video camera at a street market for 120 euros.

A spike in such brutal muggings is fueling unease in central Athens, according to the survey which said that 75.7 percent of city dwellers claimed to be living in fear while 85.1 percent said they had been the victim of at least one crime.

Seven out of 10 of those polled claimed to have reported crimes in their area to their local police precinct but to have received no follow-up. Despite their concerns, however, 73.4 percent of respondents said that the use of a weapon was not an appropriate response while just over half (52.9 percent) said they disagreed with the idea of taking the law into one?s own hands.

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