Manslaughter through negligence at Peukochori amusement park: former Kassandra mayor referred to trial
Anastasia Chalkia and six other defendants will be tried in the Single-Member Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes for the death of 19-year-old Giannis Kampaili.
Prosecution for manslaughter through negligence against the former mayor of Kassandra over death at amusement park
The former mayor of Kassandra Anastasia Chalkia is being referred to trial for manslaughter through negligence in connection with the death of 19-year-old Giannis Kampaili, who lost his life on a ride at the Peukochori amusement park in Chalkidiki that was operating without a licence. The matter is reported by Dikastiko.gr, citing information from voria.gr.
The defendant is being referred by direct summons to the Single-Member Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes due to special procedural jurisdiction, although the offence is classified as a misdemeanour. This referral was made following a prosecutorial order from the Court of Appeal prosecutor, who requested that the case be investigated after the District Court prosecutor had initially filed the related count.
Seven defendants in total — trial in February
Along with the mayor, six other individuals are being referred to the same court. These include two former deputy mayors with responsibility for licensing and oversight of the amusement park, two municipal employees — heads of relevant departments — and two private engineers. The latter had certified the previous year that the machine which proved fatal was suitable for operation, and issued corresponding professional declarations again in the year of the accident. The trial has been scheduled for February.
From the case file to prosecutorial appeal
The Kampaili family had filed a complaint against municipal officials and engineers who were responsible for licensing or participated in the process of inspection and certification of the amusement park. The complaint was initially filed away, however the Court of Appeal prosecutor accepted the family's appeal and requested investigation into whether manslaughter through negligence was established — either because the amusement park was operating without a licence in the year of the accident, or because it had been licensed without meeting legal requirements the previous year. Prosecution was thus pursued and recently the hearing was scheduled at the Single-Member Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes.
Breach of duty: trial next month
Mayor Chalkia and some of the defendants have already been referred to the same court for trial next month in a separate case concerning breach of duty. The indictment concerns what happened — and did not happen — after municipal services were informed that the amusement park was operating without a licence and did not respond. The mayor has already been punished with removal from office, whilst deputy mayors with related responsibilities have been handed suspension penalties.
Life sentence for amusement park owner
For the death of the 19-year-old from Veria, the owner of the amusement park has already been sentenced by the Mixed Jury Court of Yannitsa to life imprisonment and eight years in custody for manslaughter with possible intent, and is in prison. From the same court, the owner's wife was sentenced to nine years in custody, the machine operator to six years and the engineer who certified that the ride was functional despite its wear to thirteen years in custody. They were not detained as their appeals have suspensory effect with conditions imposed.
Systematic inspections of amusement parks across Greece
Following Kampaili's death, extensive inspections were carried out at amusement parks across Greece. According to Dikastiko.gr, even today very few of them operate, as legal requirements are now being examined meticulously in each case.
Source: Dikastiko.gr