Amusement Park Owner Gets Life Sentence for Teen's Death in Greece

The owner of a Halkidiki amusement park has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the accidental death of a 19-year-old. The Mixed Jury Court of Giannitsa handed down sentences ranging from fixed-term imprisonment to life sentences for the four individuals accused in connection with the fatal accident at the park in August 2024.

The 61-year-old owner received a life sentence plus an additional 8 years for intentional homicide by potential intent. This charge was considered completed regarding the 19-year-old victim and attempted regarding his younger brother, who was on the same ride. No mitigating factors were recognized for the owner.

The owner's 54-year-old wife, a co-administrator of the business, was sentenced to a total of 9 years for simple complicity in intentional homicide by potential intent. The court recognized the mitigating factor of sincere remorse for her. The 23-year-old operator of the "Crazy Dance" ride received a 6-year sentence for fatal exposure and slight bodily harm, with the mitigating factor of adolescent age acknowledged.

A mechanical engineer who provided operational certificates for the ride was sentenced to 13 years for simple complicity in intentional homicide by potential intent. The court did not recognize any mitigating factors for him. The owner of the park, who had been in pre-trial detention since December 2024, will return to prison. The other three convicted individuals have had their sentences suspended pending appeal, with conditions including a ban on leaving the country and a €20,000 bail for the engineer.

The court president stated, "No court judges people, it judges actions," concluding a lengthy trial that began in November. The parents and brother of the 19-year-old victim were present in the courtroom. The court's decision on guilt and mitigating factors was unanimous.

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No court judges people, it judges actions.