Earlier in the week I got a phone call from my lawyer saying that my case against the police who assaulted me in 2007 had been thrown out of court due to lack of evidence. Yesterday I received the public prosecutor's (district attorney) decision, all 12 handwritten pages (the typewriter in one form or another has been round longer than the modern Greek state yet these guys still write everything by hand.).
It makes for fascinating reading as do all works of fiction. A mixture of half truths, spin and outright lies which makes a mockery of my attempts to get justice for an unprovoked attack during a peaceful demonstration which ended up with me in hospital with two hefty guys trying to shove my shoulder back into its socket (don't try that at home, kids).
I won't bore you with all the details, just some of the more ridiculous claims the DA made in their statement:
- Apparently I was trying to escape after being told repeatedly to stop and answer their questions (no one said anything prior to the attack). Strangely, while supposedly running away I managed to get several pictures on the officers who attacked me.
- My alleged injuries which were documented by a iatrodikastis (a doctor who specialises in police cases) were caused by me falling down and tripping over a police officer who was chasing me. Not a fully equipped riot cop who used his shield to slam me into a lamp post.
- I provided no proof that I had suffered anything more than a few scratches and bruises since I had not had any x-rays taken. Conveniently ignoring those I had from the Agios Pavlos hospital and testimony from the doctor on duty that night.
Reading the rest of the DA's report I seem to be a strange cross between Spiderman, "he (the plantiff) made quick suspicious moves, darting from one side of the street to another" and Che Guevara, "individuals from the anti-authoritarian groups counter attacked in order to free their comrade". Not that any of this is true but is does make for a fascinating insight into their mindset.
Nowhere in the 12 page scrawl is their any mention of the fact that several eyewitnesses testified on my behalf or the fact that I had photographs of the events leading up to the incident. However, it did give an excruciatingly detailed account of the police's side of the events.
Oh, I almost forgot I now have to pay the courts 40 euros in court fees for this piece of badly written fiction. Click for the story in the Guardian
5 comments:
they really seem to hate you!
It's a shame dude... They' re ridiculous...
Unfortunate and pathetic. Sorry to hear about the outcome.
ti na peis...
While I oftentimes react to what you write with a "τι παπαριά έγραψε πάλι τούτος;" this outrage (in fact - given the fact that you had a lot more evidence on your side than the average protester would have had in your position - the word outrage does not even begin to describe things) leaves me fuming. There is no excuse for this. I don't know how far up you can (and are willing to devote energy to) chase this case now but the names of the judicial officials involved should be put out there (if possible) to at least publicly shame them.
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