The Mixed Jury Court Court of Giannitsa unanimously found the four defendants guilty of the accident at the Pefkochori amusement park Chalkidiki, where 19-year-old Yiannis Kampailis was killed in August 2024.
Specifically, the business owner, his wife who appeared as a co-manager, the operator of the “Crazy Dance,” and the mechanical engineer who had submitted inspection certificates for the machine’s operation.
The court essentially adopted the prosecutor’s recommendation and found the owner guilty of manslaughter with possible intent, completed in the case of the 19-year-old and attempted in the case of his brother, who was riding on the same ride.
His wife and the mechanic were found guilty of simple complicity in the same act, while the machine operator was convicted of endangering life and endangering safety.
It should be noted that the proceedings continue with the consideration of mitigating factors, and the sentences will be announced immediately thereafter.
The prosecutor’s proposal regarding “Crazy Dance”
In her closing argument, the prosecutor described a machine in extremely poor condition, with severe corrosion and virtually no safety measures.
As she noted, “Crazy Dance” was a homemade contraption without any safety standards, and its deterioration had progressed to such an extent that its collapse was considered inevitable.
“If he had cared, he would have had the safety knowledge to protect the passengers themselves; he would have cared about inspections,” the prosecutor emphasized regarding the 60-year-old owner.
According to her, the necessary maintenance work had not been performed, and the machine was not properly secured.
“Essentially, it was a piece of junk”
The prosecutor also addressed how the ride operated, arguing that the operator had not received adequate training and that there was no technical limit on operating speed.
“It was proven that no maintenance work had been performed. The machine was not properly secured. He hired an inexperienced and young operator, failed to ensure he was properly trained, or to hire a more experienced one. He did not prevent the operator from setting a higher speed; he could have installed a speed limiter. He proceeded with operations without any significant safety measures; essentially, he was operating a piece of junk. “It was, in short, a defective machine that needed to be replaced,” he stated.
The timeline of the tragedy at the Chalkidiki amusement park
On the evening of August 19, 2024, at the Pefkochori amusement park in Chalkidiki, an accident occurred that claimed the life of 19-year-old Yiannis Kampailis.
The unfortunate young man was with his brother on the “Crazy Dance” when he was thrown from the machine while it was in operation.
From the very beginning, there were serious questions about the condition of the equipment and safety conditions at the amusement park.
The trial also revealed that the ride had not been properly maintained, was not adequately anchored, and was operating without any meaningful safety measures. The prosecutor noted that “the breakdown was only a matter of time.”
From the very beginning, the 19-year-old’s family spoke of “criminal negligence.” In fact, a few months after the tragedy, a small memorial was erected across from the amusement park in memory of Yiannis Kampailis, bearing the phrase: “He was murdered in the midst of his joy”.
