Panos Sombolos emphasized that “vendetta is not really a tradition,” highlighting that this practice now continues only in Crete, while in areas like Mani it has disappeared. “This is due to two reasons: First, the weapons that people have in Crete and second, their mentality, their upbringing,” he said, clarifying he refers to a small minority of Cretans “who have a passion for weapons.”

Mr. Sombolos wished that the recent murder in Vorizia would be the last one, stressing that a broader social agreement is needed for a solution: “I hope this time it will be the end. If the government and all political parties unite and declare a campaign against vendetta — in cooperation with the church — there is hope for change.”

His book, titled Vendettas: Vendetta Crimes in Greece (Patakis Publications, 2024), includes real cases of vendettas that troubled Greek society from the 1920s to the late 20th century, focusing on Crete and Mani. The book starts with the massacre in Vorizia, Crete, in the 1950s: “Six villagers died tragically and 14 others were injured, most of whom were mutilated and left disabled.” The cause? Illegal logging in the forest — “someone from the village went and cut wood illegally… he was reported to the forestry officer, and a quarrel and mutual killing started.” Sombolos visited Vorizia while writing the book and describes his experience on Direct.

He explains that due to vendettas, many villages in Crete, and elsewhere, have been deserted. “In another Cretan village, we had seven dead — the family left and went to Amaliada. The other family found out and went to Amaliada and killed them. Entire villages were deserted because of vendettas.”

Referring to the evolution of crime in Greece, he said, “crime is on the rise right now” and noted a “change”: “Since the borders opened in the ’90s… crime became harsher.” He added that “imported criminals ‘crossbred’ with local ones because they joined forces with our own criminals.”

Closing, he spoke about specific crimes he covered: “The most important crime was Frantzis’ — the dismemberment of his partner. That was the most shocking, that’s what stuck with me.” He recalls the perpetrator’s cynicism when asked “if he worked in a butcher shop and dismembered his wife that way.” “No, Mr. Sombolos, you can do it too, as long as the knife cuts well,” Frantzis replied.

Mr. Sombolos also recounted stories about Nikos Koemtzis and Vaggelis Rohamis, and moments from his time as a police reporter, emphasizing that his approach was always to present facts as they were, without exaggeration: “Everyone considered me reliable — because I said what happened and what the investigation showed. I didn’t exaggerate the facts for ratings.”