A 47-year-old patient escaped from the Hippocrateion Hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece, by slipping out of his hospital room balcony. After a two-day search, he was finally located by police in a Roma community in Diavata, near Thessaloniki. In his statement after the recapture, he claimed he did not understand how the escape had occurred.

The escape happened on the afternoon of Clean Monday while the man was under guard due to his prior convictions. Following his escape, he was brought before a Single-Member Misdemeanor Court in Thessaloniki, where he was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison. However, the execution of his sentence was suspended pending his appeal, indicating that he may be able to dispute the court's decision.

Previously, the 47-year-old had been serving a sentence of 4 years and 7 months for serious theft, disrupting transportation security, and resisting arrest, having been released under strict probationary terms which he violated. After this incident, he has returned to prison to serve his original sentence. This case raises questions about the effectiveness of security measures in hospitals and the legal repercussions of breaching probationary terms.