Maria Karystianou, President of the Association of Tempe victims' families whose daughter died in the deadly crash, spoke on Tuesday 22 April at an event in Agrinio, organised by Babylonia magazine. In her speech, she offered pointed criticism of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Kostas Ach. Karamanlis, and the so-called “Truth Team”, which she accused of being “paid with our taxes precisely to twist the truth and present it in whatever way suits the government narrative.”

Karystianou’s address focused on the state’s responsibility for the Tempe tragedy, and on the importance of solidarity among ordinary people. “Out of absolute tragedy,” she said, “came a light – the light of unity. So that no parent ever has to lose their child again. So that none of us has to lose more friends, more loved ones.”

She continued, with emotion, “The truth is, many of those who now shrug their shoulders and wash their hands of responsibility – showing just how inadequate and irresponsible they truly are – knew that lives were at risk. And yet, they didn’t care.”

“We, on the other hand,” she added, “in our ignorance, encouraged our loved ones to travel on this death trap of a transport system.”

Turning her attention to the media, Karystianou posed a scathing question:

“What kind of country are we living in, where honest, independent reporting is a drop in an ocean of lies, misinformation, and character assassinations of anyone who dares speak the truth? Even when those people are ordinary citizens whose children were killed by the state. Even when they act out of the purest human bond – a mother’s selfless love, care, and instinct to protect her child.”

“And yet, they call themselves – ironically, and quite deliberately – the ‘Truth Team’. Paid from the public purse to twist facts and spin convenient stories for the government.”

“This was, until recently, the Greece we lived in,” Karystianou read aloud. “A country riddled with corruption, where those in power were not our allies, but our adversaries. And we survived in that hostile climate – if we were lucky.”

“But not anymore,” she declared. “We now see this rot for what it is – something utterly alien to our dignity. A thorn in our path, a barrier to progress. It has no place in our soul. It is the cautionary tale we will pass down to our children – the toxic example we must reject. It’s the great challenge we’ve been called to fight, and to overcome, for the sake of future generations. It’s the nightmare from which we’ve awoken – and the reason why we, the citizens who refuse to stay silent, have come together.”

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