Fraud and domestic violence, are “flourishing” in Messinia, according to Messinia’s Police Director, Athanasios Christopoulos.

According to police data, presented by Christopoulos yesterday, cases of domestic violence and deception have increased alarmingly over the past twelve months

260 cases of domestic violence were recorded in the first ten months of 2024, increasing to 319 in the same period this year. Notably, the arrests of perpetrators of domestic violence in Messinia increased from 200 to 221.

Concern about fraud
Mr. Christopoulos spoke of a large increase in fraud, which is a phenomenon that particularly concerns our region and explained why local actions of an informative nature will now be implemented.

In 2024, 61 cases of deception of citizens were recorded in the first ten months and this year during the same period there is an increase of 45% with 88 cases recorded.

Happily, the crime of Theft showed a slight decrease of 5% in the same period and juvenile delinquency is said to be at a low level, linked mainly to petty crime.

Domestic violence
However, the same is not the case with the data concerning domestic violence. There, as Mr. Christopoulos said, an increase in incidents has been recorded.

Especially with the application of the “Panic Button” initiative, said that this year in the prefecture we had 81 registrations of victims of domestic violence and 10 incidents where victims were in immediate danger.

Mr. Christopoulos presented in detail serious cases that were investigated this year by services of the Police Directorate of Messinia. He made a special reference to the Kalamata Drug Prosecution Department, saying that he has a lot of positive activity, which goes beyond the limits of his Prefecture.

He referred to the action of the new OPDI team, which has strengthened the prefecture, to delinquency, mainly of the Roma, with 34 specially trained police officers. Next he also spoke about the installation of fixed cameras in the Municipalities with the who signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Citizen Protection. He ended by announcing that in the coming days the installation of the viewing center will be completed in Police Directorate.

Also presenting, the Director of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (think Greek FBI), Major General Fotios Douitsis, referred to the good cooperation he has with the police officers of Messinia.

He stated that Messinia is one of the wealthiest regions of Greece, but nevertheless the crime is much lower than the national average.

He referred to the cooperation that his team had with the police services of the Messinia in three cases. One concerned a major fraud case, which was solved in September, the second concerned a major case with “illegal work” and the third the double murder at the Finikounda campsite.