Tax officers across Greece held a work stoppage on Friday in protest of an axe attack against their colleagues in Kozani, northern Greece, a day earlier.
Short after Thursday noon, a citizen entered the tax office of the city, took an axe out of a bag and started attacking the personnel.
Four tax officers, 3 women and 1 man, were injured, two of them seriously. They were all transferred to the hospital, a woman and a man remain in critical condition also on Friday due to serious head injuries. Both tax officers are on life support.
According to local media, the attacker is a 45-year-old man with psychological problems. He was arrested a few years ago for having smashed with an axe an ATM.
Police found in his back-bag also several knives.
The man has been arrested and faces charges for attempted homicide and for illegal possession of a weapon.
His motive reportedly remains unknown.
The attacker had neither issues with the tax officer nor had he any dept.
The Panhellenic Federation of Employees at Public Financial Services said in a statement “we have repeatedly warned about this situation but unfortunately we were not heard. The incident in Kozani is the last straw for the working conditions in our services, which have become unbearable.”
The Federation calls on the management of Public Revenues Department and the government “to assume their responsibilities” and demands that “all necessary measures are taken for a safe and decent work environment.”
I’m afraid that there is growing mental illness in our world and not nearly enough good treatment for it. I hope the victims recover from both the physical and mental devastation this sick man caused. I think guards with metal detectors should be assigned to public service offices in Gr.