prosecutor for minors is appointed legal guardian for unaccompanied children in detention. None of the children interviewed by Human Rights Watch while in police custody had met their legal guardian, nor were they even aware they had one. A police official in Igoumenitsa said that prosecutors “don't meet with the child, they see the papers,” and “they only communicate with the police.”57 The police commander at the Mygdonia station said that the local prosecutor had no contact with children.58 However, the police captain at Paranesti said that the prosecutor had visited the center several times in the past years to assess the conditions.59 According to Greek law, children in detention should be provided with opportunities for recreation, but Human Rights Watch saw no evidence that the unaccompanied children in police stations had access to educational opportunities or recreational activities.60 At the pre-removal detention centers, children had restricted access to small, cement courtyards. Both centers also had rooms with some games and a small library of mostly Greek and English books. However, at Amygdaleza access to the room was restricted and at Paranesti children who had been detained for three months said they had never visited the room. Wasim T. described his daily life at the Filiates police station: It is hard when I’m thinking how many days I’ve been inside. There’s nothing to do. The only thing we do is think, talk to each other, and sleep. There’s no TV, no books and the wall is black from the dirt.… the water is too cold and we can’t shower.61 The lack of care, protection, and services for children in detention in Greece violates national and international law. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has said that in the exceptional cases when unaccompanied children are detained, “the underlying approach to such a program should be ‘care’….” which must include appropriate medical 57 Human Rights Watch interview with Dimitrios Savvidis, police captain, June 28, 2016. 58 Human Rights Watch interview with Iordanis Chatzilazaridis, police commander, June 27, 2016. 59 Human Rights Watch interview with Athanasios Charelas, police captain, June 29, 2016. 60 Law on Reception, art. 46(10)(f). 61 Human Rights Watch interview with Wasim T., July 1, 2016. 25 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2016