The Larissa prosecutor’s office on Thursday issued an official notification to the father of one of the 57 Tempi rail collision victims and giving him 10 days to declare if he wants additional toxicology and DNA testing on the body of his son.
Panos Ruci attracted nationwide attention in Greece last month by conducting a hunger strike and campout in front of Parliament in central Athens to demand that relevant prosecutors allow the exhumation of his son’s body.
The notification was delivered to the office of Ruci’s attorney, former Parliament president and current political party leader Zoe Konstantopoulou.
In case Ruci doesn’t not respond to the prosecutor’s deadline, it is assumed that he forfeits the right for further testing on the body of his son, Dennis. In this case, an autopsy will proceed based on the directions and decisions of the relevant coroner, including the possibility of exhumation.
Panos Ruci’s demand was fulfilled in late October but has not been undertaken.
The two-train rail collision just south of the Tempi rail tunnel occurred just before midnight on Feb. 28, 2023.
