Mrs. Anastasia Papadopoulou, President of the Supreme Court of Greece, has responded to criticism directed at the judiciary regarding the investigation into the Tempi train disaster.
Speaking at the conference “Justice: Foundation of Development and Prosperity,” she clarified the current judicial status and addressed demands for the exhumation of victims’ remains.
“The case file is already with the Prosecutor’s Office for the legally prescribed period during which relatives can submit requests.
It will then proceed to the President of the Court of Appeals for a decision on whether the accused will be brought to trial or if further investigative actions, such as reopening the inquiry, are warranted,” Mrs. Papadopoulou explained.
She noted that recent requests—including those from relatives and Mr. Routsis, who is on a hunger strike—concern the examination of bones for wood chips and other substances. However, similar requests had been previously submitted and rejected with well-reasoned court decisions.
“Once requests have been addressed, they cannot be reconsidered merely because they come from someone else.
An exhumation is an investigative act that must be ordered by the President of the Court of Appeals and would require reopening the inquiry,” she said.
Mrs. Papadopoulou also sharply criticized lawyers representing victims’ families, stating: “I do not know whether lawyers have fully informed the relatives. No rights are lost at this stage. Requests can be made during the trial, where new evidence can be presented. Our priority is to start the evidentiary process. Do we want the trial not to start? I have full sympathy with the pain of the relatives, but I also appeal to those who exploit this situation to the fullest. Such exploitation is unprecedented in this country, which has experienced other tragedies like Mati and Mandra without similar exploitation.”
She stressed that individuals surrounding the families who seek to delay or block the trial “do not want justice to be served.”
“The investigator has closed the inquiry, and we must respect his right to do so. The only path is to begin the trial to deliver justice. I assure relatives they have not lost any rights.”