Larissa Prosecutor Submits 996-Page Proposal on Tempi Tragedy

The news in Greek

1. σιδηροδρομικός
   Σχετικό με το σιδηρόδρομο ή τις σιδηροδρομικές μεταφορές. ↩︎
2. ερευνώ
   Εξετάζω κάτι προσεκτικά για να ανακαλύψω την αλήθεια ή τα αίτιά του. ↩︎
3. εισαγγελέας  (m.)
   Ο δικαστικός λειτουργός που έχει την ευθύνη διατύπωσης κατηγοριών και υποστήριξης της κατηγορίας στο δικαστήριο. ↩︎
4. δικάζω
   Πραγματοποιώ δικαστήριο προκειμένου να αποφασιστεί η ενοχή ή η αθωότητα ενός ατόμου. ↩︎
5. ευθύνη  (f.)
   Η κατάσταση του να είσαι υπόλογος για κάτι που έγινε κακώς ή λάθος. ↩︎
6. παραμέληση  (f.)
   Η ενέργεια ή η κατάσταση του να μην δίνεται η κατάλληλη φροντίδα ή προσοχή. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who proposed that 36 people should be tried for serious charges?

Question 2: What do the families of the victims want?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
σιδηροδρομικός	railway
ερευνώ	investigate
εισαγγελέας  (m.)	prosecutor
δικάζω	try
ευθύνη  (f.)	responsibility
παραμέληση  (f.)	neglect

Read the full story

The ongoing legal proceedings concerning the tragic railway accident in Tempi have reached a significant milestone with the submission of a comprehensive 996-page proposal by the Larissa Appeals Prosecutor, Lambros Tsongas. This proposal scrutinises the responsibilities and actions leading to the disaster.

According to multiple news sources, Prosecutor Tsongas has recommended that 36 non-political individuals face trial. The charges involve severe allegations including “disruption of rail transport with potential intent” which led to significant loss of life, extensive injuries, and substantial damage to public infrastructure.

The prosecutor’s proposal delves deeply into systemic failures, assigning blame not only to individuals but also to various institutional bodies. These include the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS), and ERGOSIE, along with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The accusations focus on critical neglect in maintaining railway safety standards, a lapse that numerous reports insist was not addressed despite prior warnings.

Particularly, the proposal criticizes OSE for neglecting its duty to propose and implement necessary emergency measures, such as reducing train speeds and restoring critical control systems disabled since 2019. RAS is faulted for failing to certify the critical GSM-R communication system, opting instead to rely on outdated technology. Meanwhile, ERGOSIE is criticized for not ensuring the timely functioning of automated train control systems.

The legal process has now granted a ten-day window for the parties involved to respond. During this time, they may submit further legal actions if necessary. This unfolding legal action captures widespread national attention, with the public and the victims’ families eagerly anticipating accountability.

Families of the 57 victims are actively calling for a thorough investigation. They demand that unexamined evidence, including a German lab report on fire safety, be reviewed. There’s frustration over the rapid development of Tsongas’ proposal, prepared in merely a week, sparking concerns about its comprehensiveness given the vast scope of over 60,000 pages of case documents.

As the judicial process sets the stage for what is expected to be a landmark trial, tensions remain high. The families of those lost in the accident continue to push for justice that extends beyond mere legal proceedings, seeking a full disclosure of the factors that contributed to Greece’s deadliest railway disaster.

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