The exhumation of Panos Routsi’s son Denis, who lost his life in the tragic train disaster at Tempi, has been postponed. The procedure was scheduled for today, Thursday (9/10). The postponement came after a police decision, following a new prosecutorial order, so that a technical advisor for the family could be present.
Panos Routsi: The reason his son’s exhumation was postponed
It should be noted that after 23 days of hunger strike, Panos Routsi’s request for exhumation of his son’s body was accepted, in order to perform DNA identification and toxicological tests. A document from the Greek Police is expected regarding which tests are to be performed on the body and to appoint a technical advisor. According to the preliminary investigation, the exhumation will be attended by police, a representative from the criminological research department, a state medical examiner to be appointed, and the family’s technical advisor. A new exhumation date is expected to be announced in the coming days.
The date for the new exhumation is expected to be announced in the coming days. The scientists that Panos Routsi will appoint for his son’s exhumation will be from abroad, while samples will also be sent abroad after the exhumation, according to his own statements on the Live News show.
Panos Routsi: We have appointed our own advisors
It is recalled that Panos Routsi’s two requests, which were accepted on Tuesday (7/10) after 23 days of hunger strike by the grieving father, concerned DNA identification as well as toxicological tests. As Panos Routsi stated on Wednesday (8/10): “Tomorrow’s exhumation procedure has been postponed. We have appointed our own advisors, we will coordinate when they will come from abroad and a new date will be announced. We don’t trust anything in Greece, we wanted them to be from abroad from the first moment of the procedure. We want it to be our own standard, to be done properly and as the law dictates the procedure. The samples will also be sent abroad. I don’t know when the procedure will take place, I assume we’ll find out in 2 days. Yesterday was a great victory, we won a battle, but we have a long road ahead. We don’t know what the government will think to do to us.”
In conclusion, he added: “We’re going slowly because we’ve seen a lot in these 2.5 years. For 23 days I’ve been experiencing this situation in front of their door. I couldn’t imagine that this government has no conscience and humanity to let me know what my child died from, which is the obvious thing. They reluctantly accepted my requests after so many days.”
Crowds gather after hunger strike ends
Panos Routsi thanked the people who supported him and the “family” he gained in Greece and abroad, in his statement in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, following his call to citizens for a gathering, yesterday Wednesday (9/10). Panos Routsi, wearing a black shirt with the face of his wrongfully killed son Denis and the date of the Tempi tragedy, characterized the moment as a “day of joy and victory,” emphasizing however that “after every battle there is also a struggle that continues, and we will take this one to the end. We don’t stop here.”
At the same time he thanked everyone for their support. “I want to thank everyone who supported me, all the friends I made, a family I gained throughout Greece and beyond. We continue until the end,” he concluded. Crowds turned out in force to shake hands and stand by Panos Routsi.
The father of 22-year-old Denis Routsi stopped his hunger strike, speaking of vindication, as Justice accepted all the family’s requests for exhumation of his child’s body, conducting toxicological and biochemical tests in the presence of the family’s expert witness. This was also the reason why Thursday’s scheduled exhumation of Denis Routsi’s body was postponed by the Police.
See photos from the “wave” of support for Panos Routsi:
