Government plans to change the Penal Code have triggered an outrage for a series of proposed penalties set to be lowered.penalties proposed. The storm of protests came not only from conservative New Democracy and communist party KKE but but also from the youth branch of ruling party SYRIZA as well as several criminologists and social groups.
The criticism focuses on the issues of reducing punishment:
- for those responsible for the tragedies in Mati, with 100 dead during the wildfires in July 2018, and Mandra, with 25 dead during the flash-floods in November 2017.
- for those possessing and throwing Molotov cocktail bombs
Another issue is the proposed tighter conditions for committing the crime of rape which make it more difficult to legally press charges, so the SYRIZA Youth.
ND, KKE and SYRIZA Youth complain that the changes with regards of Molotov Cocktail bombs favor the far-right extremists of Golden Dawn.
In the new Penal Code, the creation and possession of explosives – currently a felony with up to 20 years imprisonment – is to be modified into misdemeanor with imprisonment up to 3 years..
Under the pressure, Justice Minister Michalis Kalogirou said on Wednesday that the proposed changes of the Penal Code will be reviewed.the Minister added that the changes were proposed by experts’ committees.
The changes of the Penal Code were uploaded for Public consultation over the weekend are proposal and nothing definite.
SYRIZA MP Giorgos Kyritsis triggered another outcry on Wednesday when he defended the changes saying “Nobody died because of Molotov cocktail bombs.”
Hundreds of Greeks on social media, reminded the MP of the tragedy in Marfin Bank where three employees and one unborn child lost their lives after protesters threw fire bombs inside the bank during an anti-austerity protest in May 2010.
