Film-inspired siblings fake own kidnapping
Two 11-year-old siblings who claimed they escaped from kidnappers in Ilion, western Athens, admitted following police questioning that they made up the story after being inspired by a film, officers said on Saturday. The children reported the alleged abduction late on Friday. They said that a man aged 25-30 years old had kidnapped them at around noon in Ilion and taken them to a remote house. The would-be kidnapper called the children’s parents and demanded a 16,000-euro ransom. The brother and sister claimed they escaped when their alleged abductor left them with an accomplice. The girl later admitted said she had phoned her parents and pretended to be the kidnapper by placing a tissue over nose and mouth. The children were released by authorities.
