After the completion of the process of the defendants’ objections to those appearing in support of the prosecution in the Tempi train accident trial today, the next stage is expected to begin with the proposal of the prosecutor of the Larissa Criminal Court of Appeal of the Larissa Trial Chamber as to which of these representations will ultimately be admitted.

However, at the last session last Wednesday, the lawyer for the relatives of the victims and the wounded, Ms Zoe Konstantopoulou, told the court that there were objections from the side of the prosecution’s support for the Greek state’s representation, asking that the advocates of the support precede the prosecutor’s proposal.

The prosecutor said there was a “legal issue” at stake, with the President noting that the next session would clarify who would ultimately precede.

We recall that the objections of the defendants mainly concern the representations of the Bar Associations numbering about fifty and the union of the engine drivers “Panhellenic Union of Railway Personnel”. The public filed a representation in support of the prosecution only for the three station masters of the evening-evening shift of 28 February 2023 and for the then head of the Larissa Inspection Department of the Traffic Support Service (Railways) of Central and Southern Greece. Counsel for the specific defendants asked that the public’s representation be denied, pointing out that the long-standing gaps in the safety systems of the Greek railway played a key role in the collision of the two trains and were not solely due to any individual mistakes.

Also some objections relate to the representations made about the defendants being prosecuted for the misdemeanour of dereliction of duty.

These are two members of the OSE committee who in 2022 had evaluated the transfer file of the night shift stationmaster and the then OSE chairman who had signed off on the transfer after the committee had given the green light.

A total of 36 people are accused in the case, executives and employees of OSE of ERGOSE, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Hellenic Train and the Railway Regulatory Authority. The 33 of them are charged with the felony of dangerous interference with fixed rail transport with possible malice, with acts dangerous to the safety of transport, from which a common danger to foreign objects and a danger to people could result and which resulted in: a) the death of a large number of people, b) the serious bodily injury of more people and c) significant damage to public utility facilities, committed repeatedly and jointly.

For the misdemeanors of manslaughter by negligence by a serial offender, grievous bodily harm by negligence by a serial offender, simple bodily harm by negligence by a serial offender, 35 of the 36 persons are charged.

For the misdemeanor offense of dereliction of duty, three of the 36 people are charged, out of the 36 people, three OSE executives.