The Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Lambros Sofoulakis has appealed the entire decision of the Athens Criminal Appeals Court of the Athens Criminal Court of Appeal in the case of the deadly flooding in Mandra, Attica, in 2017 that killed 25 people.

Sofoulakis is seeking the reversal of the appellate court’s decision in its entirety, that is, for the 7 defendants who were tried by the appellate court.

Specifically, the prosecutor is seeking the reversal of the decision in its entirety for the 4 defendants who were acquitted of all charges, but also for the 3 who were convicted of the flooding offense but were acquitted of the offenses of manslaughter by negligence and bodily injury by negligence in lieu of liability.

Specifically, the appeal characteristically states, “The court, concerning its stated finding of no causal link between the defendant’s negligent conduct and the result of the deaths, failed to consider: the critical testimony of the expert witness and scientific associate of the National Weather Service, who testified to the opposite of the above assumptions, namely that any obstacle can create a diversion and thus can lead to a flooding event, testimony that clearly shows that there is a causal link between the defendant’s negligent conduct and the result of the deaths; the court’s findings were not supported by the following

Further, according to Mr. Sofoulakis, the “similarly critical testimony of the head of the Southern Greece Inspectorate of the Ministry of Environment, who ruled that point spreading of water can lead to death and is therefore directly related to the existence of unauthorized structures, was not taken into account, however, the failure to evaluate it by the court led it, unjustifiably and not thoroughly to an exculpatory judgment”, and many documents introduced in the trial.

The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court will give a final decision on Mr Sofoulakis’ appeal.

Finally, one of the advocates for the families of the victims, Dimitrios Scyftas, said in a statement: “The Prosecutor’s Office of the Supreme Court distinguished what was clear to us from the first moment. The decision of the Court of Appeal had legal loopholes and incomplete reasoning as to the acquittal of the defendants for the unexpected loss of life in the flood of Mandra. The prosecution of the Supreme Court fully accepted our claims and requested that the decision be reversed and the case be re-tried. The struggle for the vindication of souls continues.”