The century-old custom of vendetta is still alive on the island of Crete where a 79-year-old man shot and wounded the brother of the convicted murderer of his 34-year-old son back in 2012.
The man has been arrested together with his 80-year-old wife, with the latter accused of simple complicity.
The shooting took place at noon on Monday, when the 79-year-old lurked his victim – the brother of the convicted perpetrator of the murder of his son – and started to shoot. In panic, the victim run into a food business in Malades by Herakleio where he was followed by the old man.
The old man shot around ten bullets, injuring his 49-year-old victim but also an employee of the business. The injured were rushed the hospital for treatment, their lives are not in danger.
The old man shot around ten bullets, injuring his 49-year-old victim but also an employee of the business. The injured were rushed the hospital for treatment, their lives are not in danger.
The old man then fled the scene and fully aware of the legal consequences, went to kiss Goodbye his grandchildren, the orphans of his murdered son, and surrendered to police early Monday evening.
The Heraklio prosecutor brought criminal prosecutions against the 79-year-old shooter and his 80-year-old wife.
The man is accused of attempted murder in a calm mental state in series and in succession, illegal carrying of weapons and possession of weapons.
His 80-year-old wife is accused of simple complicity with mental assistance in the attempted murder of a person of sound mind, serially and continuously.
The elderly couple is to testify in the next couple of days.
The old man’s son was killed with a bullet in his heart in June 2012 following an argument and a brawl with the Monday’s victim’s brother and one of his minor sons, where fists and weapons were involved. Also the victim was sentenced to 14 months for attempted murder but released under the condition of appearing once a month to local police station, local media zarpanews.gr recalled.
Vendetta or Blood Feud
A Vendetta or blood feud is when the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer’s family.
The cycle of provocation and retaliatory violence can persist for several generations, may result in extreme acts of violence and it is/was usually difficult to end the feud peacefully.
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Until the early modern period, feuds were considered legitimate legal instruments and were regulated to some degree. In Crete, for example, there is a whole negotiations procedure called σασμός that helps families to bury the hate and the thirst for revenge.
Blood feuds were common in societies with a weak rule of law (or where the state did not consider itself responsible for mediating this kind of dispute), where family and kinship ties were the main source of authority. An entire family was considered responsible for the actions of any of its members. Sometimes two separate branches of the same family even came to blows, or further, over some dispute.
In Greece, the custom of Vendetta is found mainly in Crete and Mani where the blood feud is also the most vicious and ruthless occasionally leading to the wipe out of entire family lines.
sources: Greek media, wikipedia