The trial over the death of a 19-year-old at an amusement park in northern Greece continued this week, with all four defendants presenting their defense before the court.

The case stems from a fatal incident in August 2024 involving a ride known as “Crazy Dance,” which resulted in the death of the teenager. Those standing trial include the amusement park owner, his wife, who is listed as co-manager of the business, the ride operator, and a mechanical engineer who had provided operational inspection certificates for the attraction.

The defendants face charges related to homicide with possible intent, either as direct participants or accomplices. The amusement park owner remains in pre-trial detention, while the other three defendants are free under restrictive conditions.

Owner Calls Incident a “Pure Accident”

The 60-year-old amusement park owner rejected the charges, describing the incident as a tragic accident.

Addressing the court, he said he was devastated by the teenager’s death and claimed he suffered two strokes following the incident due to emotional distress. He told judges that he could no longer bear to look at the ride and eventually destroyed it.

The owner maintained that he had consistently fulfilled his obligations regarding inspections and maintenance. He said he would have replaced any equipment if problems had been identified and insisted that tests carried out on the ride revealed no faults.

He also defended both the ride operator and the engineer, stating that the ride had been regularly checked and that safety procedures had always been taken seriously.

Wife Says She Had No Operational Role

The owner’s wife testified that the business was registered in her name for tax purposes and that she had no active involvement in its day-to-day operation.

She said she had granted power of attorney to her husband and trusted him completely. According to her testimony, she never noticed anything that would have raised concerns about the ride’s safety.

She added that members of her own family regularly used the attraction, including shortly before the fatal incident. Expressing sorrow over the teenager’s death, she said the tragedy had left her family in shock.

Ride Operator Says He Followed Instructions

The ride operator told the court that he began working at the amusement park in May 2024 and received training on operating the “Crazy Dance” ride about six weeks before the accident.

He testified that he was instructed on passenger placement, safety restraints, weight distribution and speed adjustments. According to his account, the owner supervised operations on a daily basis and provided guidance on how the ride should be run.

The operator denied increasing the ride’s speed beyond what he had been instructed to do and said he was simply carrying out his duties according to the guidance he had received.

Engineer Defends Safety Checks

The mechanical engineer also denied wrongdoing, arguing that inspections conducted in 2023 found the ride to be in acceptable condition and safe for operation.

He said there had been no indication of a defect that would have raised concerns during the checks performed at that time.

The engineer further stated that he was not instructed to certify the ride in 2024. He acknowledged providing documentation requested by the amusement park owner but argued that the documents were not sufficient on their own to secure operating permits.

According to his testimony, he handed over the paperwork because he believed the necessary licensing process had already been initiated.

Court Decision Expected Later

The trial is scheduled to continue next month, when the prosecutor is expected to present a recommendation to the court.

Closing arguments from lawyers representing both the victim’s family and the defendants will follow before the judges and jury deliver their verdict.