The case concerning the death of an 11-year-old student and the injury of two other children in the courtyard of an elementary school in Thessaloniki is heading to the Three-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies. The tragic incident occurred following a boiler explosion in December 2022, during work being carried out for the energy upgrade of the school’s heating system in Serres.
Eleven individuals were initially charged and referred to trial for misdemeanor offenses at the Three-Member Misdemeanor Court of Serres. However, after the evidentiary proceedings concluded, the Serres court – accepting the prosecutor’s recommendation – ruled that it lacked jurisdiction and requested that charges be upgraded for eight of the eleven implicated individuals.
Under these circumstances, the court decided to refer the case to the Three-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies in Thessaloniki for violation of building regulations that resulted in death, an offense prosecuted as a felony. This charge is faced by the chief engineer of the construction site, the supervisor of the electrical work crew, and six employees of the Technical Services Directorate of the Municipality of Serres.
Serres: Remaining three defendants face misdemeanor charges
The remaining three defendants – the former principal of the elementary school, the former director of Primary Education of Serres, and the former educational work coordinator – are being prosecuted for misdemeanors but will be tried by the same court due to the case’s interconnected nature.
The eight defendants facing felony charges appealed the decision of the Serres Misdemeanor Court, filing an appeal that was examined and rejected by the Three-Member Court of Appeals for Misdemeanors in Thessaloniki. A series of other legal issues raised through their attorneys met the same fate. Following these developments – and provided the defendants do not resort to any other legal remedy – the case is proceeding to the Felony Court.
