Police on Tuesday said investigations into the case surrounding the publishing of a Down syndrome abuse video are ongoing, assuring its cybercrime unit had undertaken the necessary steps to identify suspects involved.

“The investigation is continuing methodically with care and, in accordance with established procedures and with particular caution due to the involvement of a minor,” police said.

Emphasising that the incident had been under investigation since it was first brought to the attention of the authorities, police said the assessment of whether criminal offences have been committed could only be done upon completion of the investigation.

It appealed to the public to exercise particular responsibility and refrain from sharing the video further, given the nature of the case and the involvement of a minor.

The statement comes after a TikTok video showing a minor with Down syndrome being humiliated circulated online, with two women heard laughing at the child as he was asked to show his genitals to the camera.

The confederation of organisations for the disabled (Kysoa) on Tuesday sharply criticised the police, claiming that the association had already identified the suspects, despite the authorities’ failure to do so.

“If Kysoa and the Down Syndrome Association – or even an ordinary citizen who uses social media – were able to identify the parties involved within an hour, how come the cybercrime division couldn’t do the same in two months?” Kysoa president Themis Anthopoulou said, speaking on state television.

Accusing the authorities of a lack of interest in the case, he said that while the case had been reported on June 1, the president of the Down Syndrome Association was informed by the police that they had since been unable to identify the accounts.

“It’s inconceivable that a social media user can find someone’s identity, but an entire cybercrime division cannot,” he said.

Anthopoulou, underlining the severity of the case, said that he had already spoken to the justice ministry which assured him that relevant instructions for the investigation had been given already.

“Right now, we are facing a situation where the investigation would not have been brought to a conclusion if the organisations had not intervened,” he said. 

The Committee for the Protection of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities also expressed its dissatisfaction with the work of the authorities.

It added that the subsequent covering of the face of the child depicted in the video did not negate the seriousness of the case or the consequences for the individual, and for people with intellectual disabilities in general.

“Posts of this kind are extremely disappointing and insult people with intellectual disabilities. Protecting the dignity, personality and rights of people with intellectual disabilities is an obligation of the state and the responsibility of the entire society. No form of humiliation or exploitation can and should not be tolerated,” it said.

The committee called on the public to report similar incidents immediately.