# legal issues: marital problems



## matia (Aug 25, 2010)

Hello,

I have a relative in Greece who has been stalked by her husband who seems to have had a family history of mental illnesses and now apparently is himself having issues (he was jobless for a while and suffered from depression because of that), - he is threatening my relative, his wife. He has been taken away by the police yesterday night as he was being violent, but my relative who is not Greek has no place away from her Greek husband. We want to have her with us so she is away from the husband so that he doesn't harm her. We don't know how long the police will keep him and as she doesn't have the means to go to a hotel, he might easily find her again. I would appreciate hearing from someone who has any ideas and suggestions which organisations to reach, who could help and what can be done in this situation. Specifically one thing we're trying to see is how she can get a passport for her son. Apparently the application form for a child's passport needs to be signed by both parents. However, the husband being in the state he is, he might refuse to sign the form. Does anyone know about the procedure how to get the passport so she can reach her family in Europe and be safe with her children? She has no income and her husband seems to have left his recent job. We can try and help her when she comes to live with us, but it is difficult to help her there - we don't speak Greek and have committments that make it difficult to travel there. Many thanks for any relevant suggestions.


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## wka (Sep 18, 2009)

If he is being violent, then she should contact the police (as it seems she has done). If she has friends locally she can stay with, that would be ideal. Is she English? If so, she has the freedom to travel whenever she wants. Her children should be able to travel without a passport within the Schengen Treaty area (I'm pretty sure, since they don't check passports, that this should be possible). If her children want to come to England they will need passports, but perhaps they could go to a different (Schengen) country with their mother? You mention "Europe" - is her European family located in a Schengen country? If so, she can leave with her children today, to my knowledge (although her husband could potentially sue her for kidnapping I suppose - I really have NO idea about the legality of crossing national borders with minor children without the permission of both parents.) 

If she doesn't even have a friend to stay with, there are some limited resources for domestic violence victims in Greece. Without knowing even what city this woman is in, there's almost nothing I can do to help.

The SOS line "Dipla sou" for help with domestic violence, run by the European Women's Network - call from anywhere in Greece, free of charge from a landline: 800 11 88881, if calling from a cell phone, call 210 7786800. The phone lines are open from 9am to 3pm, 7 days/week. They offer legal and psychological support through a network of volunteer legal and psychological professionals.

Ιf in Athens: The Deme of Athens has a few places. 11 Nikis St., Syntagma Square in the center of the city. Phone: 210 3317305 and 210 3317306. They have a staff of legal, psycological, social etc professionals and can sometimes offer free legal counsel. They also offer a place to stay. Open 8am til 6pm. There's another branch in Peiraias at 76 Alkiviadou St., phone 210 4112091.

The Archepiscopos Guesthouse houses abused women in Athens: call 210 3841536.

Women's Rights Network in Athens also houses victims of domestic violence: call 210 3616236. 

Phone line for Immediate Social Assistance: 210 197. Run by the National Solidarity Center (EKKA), line open 24/7. They are located in Thessaloniki at the corner of Ethnikis Antistaseos and Thiseos, phone number 2310 471101, Monday through Friday 7:30 am - 3pm and 4 Kapatou St., 2310 550906, Monday and Wednesday 7:30am - 8pm, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 7:30am - 3pm, psychosocial support, and a place to stay for up to 3 months.

Center for the Social Support of Women (KKYG), 8 Kamvounion St, Thessaloniki. Phone: 2310 272725, Monday through Friday, 10am to 2pm.

If located in Thessaloniki, the Social Services of the Deme of Thessaloniki, at the corner of Karaoli and 16 Dimitriou St., phone 2310 555074, open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 3pm, psychosocial support, food, and a place to stay for up to 3 months.

Also in Thessaloniki, a home for women and mothers, The Order of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, phone 2310 521755 every day including weekends and holidays, open 7am to 12 noon, and again 4pm to 7:30pm. (Wednesdays only emergencies). Offers a place to stay, food, clothing, and information.

All of the housing options I list here accept both the victim of abuse and their children, from what I can tell.


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