[Giorgos Kydonas/Intime News]
Families of victims of the tragic February 28, 2023 train crash in Tempe, central Greece, filed a legal complaint Thursday against Special Appeals Examiner Sotiris Bakaimis and his secretary. They allege crucial audio and digital evidence, including 680,000 files seized from the offices of OSE, Hellenic Train, and ERGOSE, remains excluded from the case’s judicial dossier nearly two years later.
Maria Karystianou and four other relatives of victims appeared at Bakaimis’ office to seek clarification on why the forensic report from Greece’s Forensic Science Division was not included in the case. Tensions rose during the meeting, as Bakaimis reportedly claimed the evidence was deemed irrelevant to the investigation.
The families argue that audio recordings from key hours before and after the crash, crucial for establishing the truth, were inexplicably omitted from the file.
They allege negligence and potential obstruction of justice.
This controversy dates back to March 2023, when investigators seized digital records of the coordination of train traffic between Athens and Thessaloniki. Despite explicit urgency orders, the forensic report was submitted to investigators only in June 2023. However, it never made it to the official case file.
In response to a January 2025 formal protest by the victims’ families, Greece’s Forensic Division confirmed that all evidence was processed and delivered as required.
Yet, the families remain unsatisfied with its exclusion from the case, suspecting procedural misconduct.
The legal complaint escalates an already contentious investigation into the crash, Greece’s deadliest railway accident.
The families demand a full review of the omitted evidence, citing its importance in uncovering the truth.