The respondent is a 16-year-old minor from Afghanistan. He left from the “New Port” in Patras on the 23rd of September. He got into a truck and then into the ferry and around 5.30 PM he was on his way to Ancona. The ferry was the Hellenic Champion from Anek airlines.
24 hours later on the 24th of September, the boat arrived at its destination. The truck in which the young boy was hidden was supposed to be the first truck to get out of the ferry. However, before starting the engine, the truck driver went to check if everything was okay on his truck, which is when he saw the respondent hiding.
The truck driver called the port police and at 4PM two port security guards between 30 and 40 years old and one woman, approximately 25 years old, came to take the young minor. They brought him to a small room on the top of the boat where it was incredibly cold. The respondent explained that they were not aggressive but they didn’t explain anything to him. The respondent was totally lost and started texting some friends in Greece:
“What should I do?”, “What are they doing to me?”, “Where are they taking me? I am terrified, please save me”
The ferry then left Ancona, made a stop in Igoumenitsa and then continued towards Patras. With a little delay, the Hellenic Champion arrived at 6 PM in Patras on the 25th of September. The boy was then reportedly handcuffed and taken to the commando office of Patras. He does not remember how many officers were involved in all the Greek part of the incident. There, he had food and water and saw a translator who explained him that he was to be taken to a shelter for minors. After three days at the commando office, he joined the shelter of Patras.