Last year, a three-member court in Chios sentenced a 31-year-old Georgian woman to three years in prison and a €10,000 fine after finding her guilty of negligent arson. The case concerned the last of five fires burning on the island at the time.
The defendant had arrived in Chios just one day earlier to work as a domestic helper for an elderly woman in the Leptopoda area. The fire reportedly started after she discarded a partially extinguished cigarette by the roadside, igniting dry vegetation.
The woman is likely still in prison.
Fast forward to today, local media in Crete report:
“The 35-year-old Israeli tourist accused of causing the fire that broke out last Friday (14 August) in Sellia, Rethymno, was released under certain conditions. The fire reportedly started from a barbecue at the villa where he was staying with other guests.”
“Justice is like a snake: it only bites the barefoot.”
The man, an IT entrepreneur, was staying at the villa with his family: his wife, a surgeon, their child, his parents, including his father, a prominent surgeon, and his two brothers and their wives. The group ignored written instructions from the property owner explicitly banning fires and barbecues during strong winds.
The 35-year-old appeared before an investigating judge in Rethymno yesterday (18 August) to testify after being charged with arson with possible intent.
During his testimony, he reportedly referred to the instructions on using the barbecue in windy conditions as “fine print.”
He was ultimately released under conditions, including €10,000 bail and a requirement to report to the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv once a month.
The arrest and punishment of those responsible for starting fires should be a given, and the law should apply equally to everyone.
Unfortunately, once again, Eduardo Galeano’s words seem particularly relevant:
“Justice is like a snake: it only bites the barefoot.”
What is fyi.news?
