“And the children who stole came to court, the children were barefoot, shivering from the cold, and I had to tell them that they should be good children. How to make a delinquent child a good child? How can I “make” a child with words and exhortations alone? If this child has no food and clothes, he will do the same. I sat in a chair full and had to say to this child “you will go to jail.” OUR Maria Kydonieos-FosteriJuvenile Warden of the Syros Court and social worker, explains the circumstances leading to the establishment of the Syros Orphanage for Minors and Teenagers in 1996, at the initiative of the then Syros Juvenile Prosecutor, Manolis Roussos-Papadakis, who is no longer alive, and her support, who since the first moment believed and supported his idea.

Since then, over 26 years, about 600 children from “difficult” families have passed through the lunch tables, which also serve as study tables for the children of the Orphanage, and the work continues. Sociologists from Europe come to the Syros Shelter (Leonardo da Vinci program) to practice and see how it works, as the European Union sees it as a comprehensive and innovative model for supporting juvenile delinquents. The structure has received an award from the Academy of Athens for its work and has also been recognized by the Children’s Rights Defender.

But what is House for minors and teenagers Syros and how does it differ from other juvenile structures that have operated from time to time? “The idea was to create a center where children could come in during the day, eat, get dressed, get help in class,” says Ms Fostery. To have everything you need to grow up and communicate, but at the same time not be completely cut off from your family, from your place. Because when you put a child in a boarding school and he turns 18, he does not know what to do, how to cope, he has no one. Here, on Syros, more and more doors will be opened for help, more and more people will speak a kind word.”

“They stole…”

He recalls that gang crime was rampant on the island at that time. “They stole. The conditions of life led them to this, there are no bad children,” he clarifies. Prison was never a solution, “never,” he stresses, “many notorious criminals began their careers in juvenile prisons.”

“Many criminals have come out of juvenile prisons,” says Maria Kydonieos-Fosteri, who has helped many children choose a different path.

Volunteer teachers, psychologists, doctors, and donations were raised to cover day-to-day needs and help these children find support that their home could not provide. “When we gave them food for the first time, they all fell face down on a sheet of metal together and ate like animals before we put them on plates,” recalls Ms Fostery. Some children didn’t even go to school, but volunteer teachers taught them to read and write, “the bare necessities”.

In later years, many children had to be supported by the structure. The cases are many and complex. Once they had to release two children, aged 2 and 3, from a house that was locked up by their drug addict parents. “When we took them out, we saw that their parents were using their heads as … ashtrays,” says Ms Fostery. “People who take drugs are sick, they want special treatment, you can’t treat them as healthy,” he emphasizes.

“Punishment, Not Punishment”

“Children need love, education and guidance. No punishment or jail. They want to see good examples,” says Ms. Fostery, who in the meantime, in addition to studying as a social worker, also received a master’s degree in social psychiatry.

He explains that creating support structures for children and families is a solution, not an advantage. “The benefits go to the parents and most people use them for themselves. The drinker will buy the drink, the addict will get his dose, and the children are left to their own devices.” The proposal of Manolis Roussos-Papadakis was to create a similar support structure, a day center for each court of first instance, the scholar describes, but despite his efforts, he was not heard in departments and ministries.

The case of the 12-year-old girl does not surprise Ms. Fosteris. Of course, he does not agree with the published details. “The child will not be able to go out into the world, to live. The point is to help these kids, and you don’t help them when you talk about their plight.”