The family of 11-year-old Marios from Menidi has achieved a second victory, against the State's objections and the refusal of the State Legal Council, despite the request of Finance Minister Christos Staikouras to settle the compensation case of the family of the unfortunate child who was killed by a stray bullet.
The three-member Administrative Court of Appeal, in its decision, unanimously rejected the appeal of the Greek State, upholding the decision of the Administrative Court of First Instance to award EUR 490,000 in compensation to the family of Marios. Indeed, the court clearly attributed responsibility to the State and in particular to the Greek Police, because it had not taken the necessary measures in an area plagued by crime and stray gunshots.
The Court ruled that the State's claims "that there was no illegality on the part of the State" and that "the purpose of compensation is moral consolation and not the enrichment of the victim" are unfounded.
Speaking to ANT1 and the show "Morning Press", the mother of the unfortunate Marios, Dionysia Souloukou, noted that "the Administrative Court of Appeal vindicated us, recognized the responsibility of the State and the abandonment of our Municipality. The Greek State shows its cruelest face to us. The first court decision in our favour came out. They are appealing. They continue to fight us. We have two convictions."
"The bullets continue to fall in our backyard. We ask for more policing and generally to deal with our municipality," said the mother of the unfortunate 11-year-old.
In an intervention in the show, the Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodoricakos noted that he will exercise every legal remedy, so that there is no legal confrontation between the State and the family of Marios Souloukos.
Ms. Souloukou described as a "pleasant surprise" the development with the intervention of Takis Theodorikakos, while stressing that she thanks the Greek Justice.
11-year-old Marios Souloukos died from a stray bullet, while he was in the courtyard of his school, on June 8, 2017. Present at the scene was the boy's mother, who was a teacher at that school, where she returned this year and continues to teach. As she says this "is very, very difficult, it's a daily struggle. It is something pleasant on the one hand, because I love my job very much, but the thoughts in this area..."
Regarding the State's insistence that no compensation be paid, the lawyer for the family of 11-year-old Marios, Theodoros Mantas, stressed that "while Mr. Staikouras and the leadership of the Ministry of Citizen Protection referred the case in favor of the Greek State's waiver, the Legal Council of the State, with a narrow majority, rejected the proposal of the organs of the State, continuing to deal with such cases in a rigid way."
Mr. Mandas said that for so many years the perpetrator of the fatal shooting has not been found, while now parts of the case are approaching the statute of limitations for offences, noting that there continues to be high crime in the area and that senseless shootings are often recorded.
Furthermore, the criminal lawyer commented scathingly on references in the State Legal Council's reasoning that "the purpose of compensation is moral consolation and not the enrichment of the victim" and that "the country's fiscal policy does not allow for the payment of compensation", saying that "compensation is recognized by a court decision. There is a limit somewhere. Two courts unanimously vindicate the State's liability."
Source: Proto Thema
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
