A senior prosecutor in the city of Larissa has recommended rejecting appeals filed by two families of victims of the Tempi train disaster who requested that forensic examinations be conducted in laboratories abroad.

According to reporting from Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT,  the head of the Larissa First Instance Prosecutor’s Office described the appeals as “ineffective and lacking any real subject matter,” urging the judicial council to dismiss them.

The families had appealed after prosecutors refused to allow biological samples from exhumed victims to be sent to laboratories outside Greece.

Focus of the investigation

In her submission to the court, the prosecutor said the ongoing investigation focuses on the forensic pathologists who examined the victims after the Tempi train disaster.

According to the report, the forensic officials are being investigated for possible breach of duty and issuing false certifications.

The prosecutor argued that the investigation into the victims’ causes of death — including whether hydrocarbons or other substances may have been involved — has already been completed as part of the main judicial inquiry.

As a result, she said, there is no legal basis to send remains or biological samples abroad for further forensic testing.

Exhumations could still take place in Greece

While opposing tests abroad, the prosecutor proposed that if exhumations move forward, the remains should instead be examined in forensic laboratories in Greece, where specialists would carry out any tests available domestically.

The issue resurfaced in early October following pressure from victims’ families, including a hunger strike by a father who was demanding further investigation into the circumstances of his child’s death.

Judicial council to decide

The final decision will be made by a judicial council in Larissa, which will review the case after receiving the prosecutor’s recommendation.

If the council rejects the families’ request regarding the terms under which the exhumations would take place, the families have said they will withdraw their requests entirely.

Ten families of Tempi victims initially requested the exhumation of their relatives. Of those, six families continue to pursue the request, but only under specific investigative conditions. The remaining four families have withdrawn their applications, saying they do not want to proceed with exhumations under the current circumstances.

Source: ertnews.gr