Boy, 2, dies after being ‘mauled by canine’ in Greece as dad and Brit mum arrested
A two-year-old boy has died on the Greek island of Zakynthos after being reportedly mauled by a pitbull, with his parents arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence
A two-year-old boy has died after being savaged by a pitbull on a Greek Island. The horrific incident unfolded in a village on the popular holiday hotspot of Zakynthos, shortly after the tot and his parents had returned from a shopping trip.
The youngster was allegedly set upon by the dog as he entered the property, suffering severe injuries to his head and neck. Despite being rushed to the General Hospital of Zakynthos, doctors were unable to save him.
According to Greek news outlet Ekathimerini, the dog was a stray that the family had taken in just a few weeks earlier after finding it near their home. The family collected it to take care of it until a foster parent could be found for adoption.
In the wake of the tragedy, the boy’s parents, including his British mum, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence, as is standard procedure under Greek law when a child dies in potentially unsafe conditions at home.
They have since been released pending the outcome of the investigation, as ordered by a prosecutor.
The news comes after a grandfather and his three-month-old granddaughter were killed after reportedly being mauled to death by a pack of pitbulls. James Alexander Smith, 50 and the baby were reportedly attacked in their Tennessee home.
Police were forced to shoot some of the seven beasts, which had allegedly broke free from their yard.
Neighbour Rebecca Adams said the newborn’s heartbroken mother was screaming “my baby” as authorities broke into the house to try and save the victims, The Sun reports.
The dogs were still attacking the infant’s body when they arrived, according to local news reports.
Ms Adams told WSMV how the dogs would often break loose and go after other animals in the neighbourhood. “They’d run after cats, they’d run after dogs, you know, animal things,” she said.
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