The managers of a nursing home in Asvestochori, Thessaloniki, are referred to a Mixed Jury Court to be tried, by will, where in August 2020 there was a flurry of Covid-19 casesresulting in the death of 28 elderly people from complications related to the coronavirus.

According to the referral will of the Criminal Council of Thessaloniki, the charge with which they were referred to trial is that of violating the measures for the prevention of infectious diseases which resulted in the death of a large number of people (felony).

It was preceded by prosecutorial intervention and followed by an investigation by a competent audit authority, the conclusion of which was forwarded to the Thessaloniki Prosecutor’s Office and a criminal prosecution was ordered.

The conclusion, on which the prosecution relied, described a series of violations of the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus, such as excessive numbers of inmates, failure to observe distances in places of accommodation for the elderly, failure to carry out sample tests at regular intervals, etc.

On their part, the defendants in their apologies before the investigator they had denied the accusation, arguing, among other things, that they had taken all the measures foreseen by the joint ministerial decisions on the pandemic.