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Athens Metro: New Security Breach Complaint After Station Master Severely Beaten in Korydallos
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

Athens Metro: New Security Breach Complaint After Station Master Severely Beaten in Korydallos

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A new complaint from the Athens Metro Station Guards Union highlights significant security gaps following the severe beating of a station guard in Korydallos on August 21.
  • The union claims this incident is part of a pattern of violence and harassment on the metro network, with authorities repeatedly alerted to these issues.
  • The union demands permanent policing, reassessment of security protocols, and faster response times from authorities, urging guards not to assume law enforcement roles.

The Athens Metro Station Guards Union has issued a stark new complaint, raising serious questions about the safety of both staff and passengers on the metro network. The union's statement follows a brutal assault on a station guard at the Korydallos station on August 21, an incident they describe as another link in a chain of violence and harassment plaguing the system.

According to the union, the Korydallos incident began when a female passenger reported being sexually harassed by a man, whom the union identified as a substance abuser. The station guard reportedly alerted the security center immediately, providing a description of the individual. However, the man allegedly boarded a train and continued to move freely throughout the network. Hours later, he returned to the Korydallos station, where the guard attempted to manage the situation. During this interaction, the man allegedly attacked and beat the guard in front of passengers. The union's complaint notes that police arrived several minutes later, highlighting the absence of permanent police presence at the station.

Our work is purely railway-related, not law enforcement.

— Athens Metro Station Guards UnionThe union emphasizes that the role of station guards is not to act as law enforcement personnel.

The union asserts that this incident exposes the weaknesses of the current "Ariadne Plan" for public transport security. They also point to repeated failures in assessing the severity of complaints reported by station guards. The workers are calling for consistent and effective policing across all stations, a re-evaluation of security protocols, and a swifter response from relevant services when serious incidents occur.

Furthermore, the union is sending a clear message to its members: "Our work is purely railway-related, not law enforcement." They are urging station guards to prioritize their physical safety and stated, "If the state cannot guarantee a safe network, we will not put ourselves in danger by playing heroes."

If the state cannot guarantee a safe network, we will not put ourselves in danger by playing heroes.

— Athens Metro Station Guards UnionThe union expresses its refusal to risk guards' safety if the state fails to ensure a secure environment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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