The world’s attention has been caught by the mystery of a young blonde girl who was discovered in a Roma camp. The girl was discovered by police who doubted the story the people who said they were her parents gave them on account of her pale skin. A DNA test confirmed that the “parents”—Christos Salis and Eleftheria Dimopoulou—were not actually related to her. But who she is remains an enigma.
Known only as “Maria” and believed to be between 4 and 6 years old, police in Greece have been soliciting help from all over the world to try and find who she is, how she came to live in Europe and, most importantly, where she belongs. Salis and Dimopoulou are now saying that a destitute mother gave Maria to them, but police aren’t so sure. Several outlets are reporting that the girl might belong to a Bulgarian couple in the area, but police have also received several leads in America.
The case has European gypsies—already a much maligned group—worried about potential backlash. They’re often pegged as children stealers, and have spent a good deal of time trying to refute the stereotype …
