Authorities have intensified the search for a 16-year-old girl who vanished last week after reportedly taking a taxi alone from the western port city of Patras to Athens, sparking urgent questions about her transport and safety.
The teenager, identified only as Laura, has been missing since Thursday, Jan. 8.
She failed to return home from school, and initial police findings place her arrival in the capital later that day.
The Patras prosecutor’s office has now taken charge of the investigation.
Laura was last seen wearing a blue jacket, black jeans, black sneakers with white stripes, and carrying a gray backpack.
A witness told Mega TV they saw her that morning with an unidentified man wearing prescription glasses.
“She was on her phone, and they were using a translation app,” the witness said.
Laura’s father expressed frustration over the timeline of the response and the circumstances of her travel.
“She went to school and never came back,” he said. “Her friends say she went to Athens by taxi. We went to the police immediately… Normally, a taxi driver is not allowed to take a minor alone to Athens.”
Family sources describe a difficult adjustment period for the teen, who had moved to Greece from Germany three years ago and faced language barriers.
Recently, her parents had restricted her internet access, and acquaintances reported she had been selling personal items like clothes and bags, claiming they “no longer represented her.”
As of Monday, the family has received no contact.
Police are currently analyzing footage and conducting interviews in both cities to trace her movements.
