The Mixed Jury Court of Giannitsa has found all four defendants guilty in the death of a 19-year-old who lost his life at an amusement park in Halkidiki in August 2024. In the dock sat the amusement park owner, his wife (as co-manager of the business), the operator of the fatal ride called “Crazy Dance,” and the mechanical engineer who had provided operational safety certificates for the ride. These four individuals were referred for trial for manslaughter with possible intent, completed as regards the 19-year-old and attempted regarding his brother who was on the same ride, either jointly or as simple accomplices to this act.
Halkidiki: All defendants found guilty in 19-year-old’s amusement park death
During her recent address, the prosecutor asked the judges (regular and jury members) to declare all defendants guilty, while proposing in some cases a modification of the legal assessment of the acts, as follows:
- The owner for manslaughter with possible intent, completed and attempted
- The wife and engineer for simple complicity in manslaughter with possible intent, completed and attempted
- The operator for fatal endangerment and endangering others
Developing her reasoning, the prosecutor noted that the Crazy Dance was in an advanced and extensive state of corrosion, the result of years of wear, to an extent that made it entirely dangerous and essentially unsuitable for operation. As she emphasized, it was a homemade construction without safety standards and specifications for safe operation. She stated that breakage was a matter of time due to corrosion – regardless of weight or speed – and that the only safe solution would have been complete replacement of the equipment.
