Delivering the court’s rationale, the presiding judge referred to Mandra as an “unprotected city” vulnerable to natural disasters. She criticised the National Meteorological Service and the General Secretariat of Civil Protection for inadequate warnings, adding that police and traffic authorities failed to implement necessary measures to protect citizens on the roads during the disaster.
The decision was met with discontent from the families of the 25 victims, who argue that the court has sidestepped responsibility for the tragic loss of life. “The court ruled today that there is no criminal responsibility for the tragic deaths, only for causing local flooding,” stated the lawyers representing the victims’ families. “Our loved ones died not due to ‘bad timing,’ but because of the state’s negligence and inefficiency.” The families have pledged to pursue all possible legal avenues to overturn the decision, asserting it falls short of delivering justice for those who perished.
Statement by the families’ lawyers:
“The families of the Mandra flood victims strongly disagree with today’s decision, which failed to address criminal responsibility for the 25 lives lost in 2017. This disaster was not an accident or a matter of unfortunate timing. The families will exhaust every legal means to challenge what they view as an unjust decision, seeking justice for those who lost their lives to the state’s shortcomings.”
Lawyers for the victims’ families:
- Athanasios Oikonomou
- Athanasios Kavourinos
- Konstantinos Fousas
- Dimitrios Skyftas
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