III. Unsanitary and Degrading Conditions, Abusive Treatment “I’m really afraid. I’m a kid, and I’ve never experienced these things.” -Adi S., a 17-year-old boy from Pakistan, Amygdaleza pre-removal detention center, Athens, July 2, 2016 “I swear to God, I sleep next to rats.” -Houari Z., a 15-year-old boy from Algeria, Amygdaleza pre-removal detention center, Athens, July 3, 2016 Under European and international standards, in the exceptional cases that an unaccompanied child is detained for his or her protection, conditions should be governed by the best interest of the child. In reality conditions for unaccompanied children in Greek detention are far from being in their best interests. Human Rights Watch found that many children face degrading conditions in police station cells and in Coast Guard facilities, and unsanitary conditions in pre-removal detention centers. Children were made to live and sleep in dirty, bug- and vermin-infested cells, sometimes without mattresses, and were deprived of appropriate sanitation, hygiene, and privacy. All of the children interviewed in police stations said they were not allowed to leave their cells. Human Rights Watch interviewed nine children whose status as children was undisputed who said they had been detained with adults, and four who said they were abused by police. While Greek authorities allowed Human Rights Watch to conduct interviews in private rooms at police stations and detention centers, they did not allow Human Rights Watch to view or enter the cells where children were detained. At the Mygdonia Border Guard Station, children said a broken shower drain was causing water to flood into the cell, where they slept on mattresses on the floor. Children said they used their own clothes to block the water. Children also said the cell was dirty, infested with bugs, and that blankets were full of dust and had not been washed. Saif D., a 16-year- “WHY ARE YOU KEEPING ME HERE?” 16