Families Demand Reopening of Tempi Rail Disaster Investigation in Greece

Tempi railway catastrophe successful Greece. Credit: Amna

Relatives of the victims of the Tempi obstruction disaster person turned to Greece’s Supreme Court, submitting a broad 47-page petition urging the reopening of the probe into the tragedy. They assertion that important grounds was ne'er afloat examined, leaving captious questions unanswered astir the derailment that killed 57 radical and near dozens much injured.

Among those filing the petition is noted ineligible advocator Maria Karystianou, who criticized the prosecutorial reappraisal conducted successful Larissa by Judge Lampros Tsogas arsenic hurried and insufficient. Families contend that the recommendations issued failed to relationship for cardinal findings from the investigation, raising concerns implicit accountability and the thoroughness of the judicial process.

Supreme Court declares itself incompetent

Greece’s Supreme Court Prosecutor Konstantinos Tzavelas informed the victims’ lawyers that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to reopen the case. The petition had besides been submitted successful Larissa, wherever the lawsuit record present rests with the presiding appellate judge, conscionable 1 measurement distant from trial.

The Judges and Prosecutors Association of Greece released a connection successful defence of the investigative process, noting that Judge Tsogas had overseen the archetypal enquiry and was acquainted with the lawsuit file. The relation argued that his expedited submission aimed to forestall unnecessary delays successful the judicial process.

Nonetheless, the Supreme Court’s declaration of incompetence prompted beardown reactions from person and lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou and different attorneys representing victims’ families, highlighting ongoing tensions betwixt procedural rules and victims’ demands for justice.

Calls for complementary investigation

The families importune connected the urgent request for a supplementary superior investigation. Their petition points to circumstantial procedural lapses, emphasizing that the enquiry indispensable afloat analyse the causes of the occurrence that tragically killed astatine slightest 5 to 7 passengers straight and whitethorn person contributed to the deaths of 27 victims who were incinerated.

“The seriousness, objectivity, and effectiveness of immoderate judicial probe beryllium connected the implicit valuation of each findings,” the petition states. “The probe indispensable continually integrate caller evidence, which should beryllium assessed by qualified experts with recognized technological and nonrecreational expertise.”

Families are besides seeking a reappraisal of the bid scheduling, information protocols, and communications starring up to the collision, arguing that these factors played a captious relation successful the disaster.

Alleged negligence and transgression responsibility

The petition highlights imaginable transgression liability among Hellenic Train executives and different individuals progressive successful the cognition and oversight of Greece’s obstruction system.

Families asseverate that the grounds collected frankincense acold could enactment felony-level charges for negligence and operational failures.

Legal analysts enactment that portion reopening an probe aft a prosecutorial reappraisal is unusual, it is not unprecedented—especially erstwhile caller grounds oregon procedural oversights suggest that the archetypal enquiry whitethorn person been incomplete.

Greece’s obstruction information nether scrutiny

The Tempi catastrophe has captured planetary attention, exposing Greece’s obstruction infrastructure and information standards. Passenger and freight bid collisions are uncommon successful the EU, but often pb to aggravated regulatory and judicial scrutiny erstwhile they occur.

EU transport authorities person flagged concerns astir the modernization of signaling systems, information oversight, and unit grooming wrong Greece’s nationalist obstruction network. Families and advocacy groups reason that the Tempi calamity reflects broader systemic weaknesses that indispensable beryllium addressed to forestall further nonaccomplishment of life.

The Greek authorities has pledged to heighten information protocols, including stricter scheduling controls and much robust exigency effect measures. However, critics support that accountability astatine the enforcement and operational level remains insufficient without a thorough judicial investigation.