THESSALONIKI, Greece – Five schoolchildren have been charged with killing an 11-year-old boy, Greek authorities said Thursday. Alex Mechisvili went missing in February in the northern town of Veroia. His body has not been found.
The five children, aged 12 and 13, were charged with "intentional homicide" and "disrespect" to a corpse, prosecutors said.
The suspects, one of whom went to school with Mechisvili, were first questioned in June. Police then launched a large-scale effort to find the boy's body, a search that included abandoned buildings and nearby rivers.
Authorities gave few details of the case because the suspects are minors. Greek law prevents them from being detained pending trial, or serving jail time if convicted.
The boy's parents had moved to Greece from the former Soviet republic of Georgia. His mother made repeated televised appeals for information after his disappearance.
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