A 33-year-old French tourist was arrested after slapping a 16-year-old schoolgirl on a ferry traveling from Italy to Igoumenitsa, western Greece, on Sunday, April 6.
The incident occurred as passengers were preparing to disembark, and the man was detained by the Port Authorities of Igoumenitsa upon the ship’s arrival.
The altercation reportedly stemmed from the tourist’s frustration with a group of students from a school in Lamia, central Greece, who were returning from an educational trip to Italy. The man claimed he was irritated by the students pushing and making noise behind him, and after being kicked, he turned and struck the girl standing nearby. Eyewitnesses, however, suggested to local media that the act was more severe than a simple slap, though details remain unclear.
The schoolgirl was taken to a local hospital’s Emergency Department as a precaution. The Frenchman faces charges under Article 312 of the Criminal Code for “bodily harm to weak persons.” A preliminary investigation by the Igoumenitsa Port Authorities is underway. Local outlet lamiareport.gr reported on the minor’s transfer to the hospital for observation.