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Victoria Mindova

On Monday morning, Omonia square in central Athens woke up to a woman who threatened to attempt suicide. At 6:30 am, the woman climbed the "Pendakiklo" sculpture, which is ten metres high and is located in the central square, to protest against the cuts in social benefits.

The woman is 35 years old, deaf and the single mother of two children, aged six and eight years. Following the introduction of the latest fiscal consolidation measures, the government has significantly cut the social benefits to disadvantaged people and reduced their due allowances and privileges. "This is more a cry for help than a genuine attempted suicide," one of the witnesses of the scene told GRReporter. According to the information, the reasons for the suspension of the social benefits of the disabled mother were administrative complications and delays in carrying out the regular checks that verify the disability.

The police and fire brigade arrived to the scene immediately. After about two hours of negotiations, they took the woman down from the metal sculpture in Omonia and gave her first aid. The fire brigade stretched a safety air mattress under the place where the woman was standing, but it took her down by a crane. The 35-year-old disabled mother attempted to attract the public attention for the second time. The first one was in the middle of December last year, when the disabled received their reduced benefits for the first time. The woman is to appear before the commission verifying the damage to health and some portion of the lost state aid is to be recovered.