Authorities in Greece have launched a full-scale investigation following the discovery of a deceased fetus early Friday morning behind a canteen in the Oreokastro area of Thessaloniki.
Initial findings suggest the fetus was approximately four months old at the time of a miscarriage. Traces of placenta were identified next to the body, supporting the theory that the mother suffered a spontaneous miscarriage at the location.
The woman believed to have miscarried reportedly fled the scene for reasons still unknown, leaving the fetus behind. As of now, it remains unclear whether the fetus was stillborn or died shortly after the miscarriage, and the baby’s sex has not yet been determined.
Investigators are currently reviewing footage from security cameras in the surrounding area in an effort to identify the woman in question and to piece together the circumstances of the tragic incident.
The fetus was discovered by the canteen owner just hours after the presumed miscarriage. She immediately contacted authorities upon making the shocking discovery.
In speaking to reporters, the canteen owner described the heartbreaking scene:
“It looked like a miscarriage. A woman must have miscarried right here behind the canteen. Maybe she was in pain, came here, and it happened suddenly. I found the fetus on the cement when I came to open up. It was about 12 to 13 centimeters long. We have no idea who the mother could be.”
The case has deeply unsettled the local community, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.
This news comes just 48 hours after an infant girl was discovered abandoned beside a recycling dumpster in the seaside suburb of Alimos, south of Athens.
The 43-year-old grandmother, who was responsible for the child at the time of the abduction, has been arrested.
The incident began in downtown Omonia, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from where the baby was found.
Initial analysis of the camera footage shows her grandmother, a Roma woman, begging outside a supermarket with her infant. At one point, the perpetrator approaches her and appears to say, “Let’s go inside so I can do some shopping for you.”
They then go inside, and, while they are in the diaper aisle, the perpetrator snatches the girl and disappears. He allegedly persuaded the woman to enter a supermarket, where he then took advantage of the situation, as she was preocuppied with diapers, to snatch the child and flee. The grandmother informed police she saw him escaping and alerted store employees.
Roughly two hours later, passersby in Alimos heard a baby crying and discovered the infant between dumpsters. Police were called to the scene, and the baby was taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed she was unharmed.
