In the criminal prosecution, on a case-by-case basis, for fatal bodily injury, simple complicity in fatal bodily injury, threats, and verbal abuse, against the two individuals arrested in connection with the incident at Vouliagmeni Beach in which an 82-year-old man lost his life, the Athens Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed criminal charges.
Following the filing of criminal charges, the defendants— a 76-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, were referred to an investigating judge, from whom they requested and were granted a hearing scheduled for Wednesday (September 23). According to reports, the 76-year-old continues to deny that he beat the 82-year-old.
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“Criminal charges were filed under Article 311 of the Penal Code—that is, causing fatal injury. It’s difficult. We’re going through tough times. I mean, someone goes for a swim and risks being charged. He’ll answer for it. He denies everything. It was an unfortunate moment. I’d say he didn’t hit him. He didn’t hit him at all. An incident occurred. He was accompanying a lady to a lounge chair. In other words, things that border on psychopathology—unthinkable. I mean, what can one say? “I believe we’ll deal with it,” said the 76-year-old’s defense attorney, Nikos Hatzis.
READ ALSO: “I’ve Never Heard Such Screams Before”: How a Violent Altercation Over a Beach Chair Led to the Death of an 82-Year-Old Man in Vouliagmeni
When asked if an altercation had preceded the incident, he noted that “there was a verbal altercation,” emphasizing that he has not yet reviewed the case file. “It has been submitted to the investigating judge. But I believe justice will be served,” he added.
According to Mr. Hatzis, the defendant’s side is awaiting “the forensic report to see if the blow was indeed capable of causing death, but there is no wound. At least as far as I know, there isn’t even one. There was a verbal altercation. Moreover, as far as I know, he died in the clinic. He did not die at the time of the verbal altercation.”
The Timeline
It should be noted that it all happened shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday when the 76-year-old went swimming with his 21-year-old girlfriend in Vouliagmeni, and after they bought their tickets, theythey began looking for beach chairs.
At that time, the beach wasn’t crowded, and the two of them found lounge chairs near the water. As they were putting their things down, the 82-year-old man, who was sitting on the adjacent lounge chairs with his wife, told them that his group was sitting in that exact spot and that the six lounge chairs were already taken.
The two men got into an argument, and at some point, according to witnesses, the 82-year-old struck the 21-year-old. That’s when tempers flared, and the elderly man and the young woman came to blows.
During the scuffle, the 82-year-old felt unwell, collapsed, and an “alarm” was raised on the beach. The beach’s on-site doctor and two lifeguards arrived at the scene and performed CPR on the elderly man four times in an attempt to revive him.
He was immediately taken to the beach clinic, where, according to reports, an attempt was made to resuscitate him with a defibrillator, as he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
An ambulance then picked up the 82-year-old and transported him to the Asklipieio Hospital in Voula, where he died a short time later.
Source: Proto Thema
