The Administrative Court of Athens announced it has published the ruling it issued last week awarding damages for moral suffering to relatives of a victim of the Tempe rail disaster.
The decision recognizes the obligation of the Greek state to pay the first plaintiff a total of €180,000 and each of three others €60,000, with interest.
According to family lawyer Georgios Karapanos, it is the first ruling assigning responsibility to the state for the tragedy due to poor railway conditions.
“On March 27, 2026, the Administrative Court of Athens issued a particularly critical judgment regarding the Tempe tragedy, recognizing for the first time the responsibility of the Greek state for the conditions that led to the deadly crash of Feb. 28, 2023,” he said.
He added the decision confirms the disaster was “not an isolated or random event, but the result of criminal omissions and systemic failure.”
The court said the state, through the Transport Ministry, long knew the dangerous and inadequate railway conditions but exercised ineffective oversight, contributing causally to the damage.
It found the state failed to ensure timely safety measures, rejecting its arguments as unfounded.
Following the accident, the ministry began an extensive campaign to upgrade, renew and expand infrastructure, including signaling, remote control and ETCS installation.
The ruling signals accountability extends beyond individuals to the core of state operations, opening the way for further judicial scrutiny and justice for victims and families.
It underscores broader responsibility and may influence future claims related to the same disaster and its aftermath.