Every now and then cases of child abuse make the news. While the publicity lasts, these stories horrify and disturb people. But these cases often fall into oblivion, even after a week. The Manifold, a team of five journalists from Greece and Cyprus, wanted to find out what happens to children when the scandal around their care quiets down. How dependable is the state infrastructure for child protection?
Between July and December of 2018, the team conducted large field studies investigating different services related to child care in Greece and Cyprus. They visited various state facilities including children’s homes, hospitals, police stations, public prosecutor offices, schools, social services, and other institutes linked to child care. The team also performed 34 separate interviews with experts, social workers, policymakers and survivors, each of which lasted several hours. The project was financially supported by a grant from the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund, which promotes cross-border investigative journalism and is managed by the International Press Institute (IPI).