Two brothers convicted of bottle attack on French tourist in Rethymno
A Mixed Jury Court has convicted two brothers from Chania of causing grievous bodily harm to a 26-year-old French tourist outside a club in Rethymno.
Four-year prison sentence for two brothers who attacked French tourist with bottle
A Mixed Jury Court has convicted two brothers from Chania of the beating of a 26-year-old French tourist in September 2024 outside a club in Rethymno. Two other young men who were present at the incident were acquitted, as the court found no active participation by them in the altercation.
According to Dikastiko.gr, the first brother was sentenced to four years and three months' imprisonment with suspension on appeal, for aggravated intentional grievous bodily harm and illegal possession of weapons — a truncheon and knife were found in his vehicle. The second brother was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, also with suspension on appeal, for aggravated intentional grievous bodily harm. Both were recognised as having the mitigating factor of a previously unblemished character.
The victim's testimony
The 26-year-old Frenchman was present at the trial and testified through an interpreter, describing in detail the attack he suffered that night. He said he was in Rethymno for a friend's wedding and was leaving a known club with two friends, holding a bottle in his hands with the intention of continuing to drink in their room.
For a trivial reason, according to his account, a confrontation began with a group of local men — all in a state of intoxication — initially involving pushing and verbal altercation that quickly escalated. The victim stated he received punches, kicks, and a blow to the head with a whisky bottle, as a result of which he collapsed bleeding on the ground.
After the attack, according to him, he required hospitalisation for 11 days, postponing his planned return to France.
The video and evidence
The incident was recorded on video by passers-by, who captured the confrontation. In this footage the tourist can be seen receiving punches, kicks, and a blow to the head with a glass bottle, before falling to the ground with blood.
The defendants' statements
The two convicted brothers claimed in their defence that the French tourist was the one who attacked first using the bottle. They apologised and stated they wished things had not reached this point. The other two defendants had denied any involvement in the altercation — a position accepted by the court, which acquitted them.
Source: Dikastiko.gr