The new draft penal code: A paradise for criminals

By Yannis Marinos

Criminals will undoubtedly welcome with hymns of resurrection the draft of the new penal code which was recently made public and is scheduled to be approved by Parliament in the immediate future.

Some of the provisions that caused a backlash were improved by the justice ministry.

However, because the precedent of the notorious law introduced by former justice minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos, which opened the gates of prisons for thousands of inmates serving long terms, and the kid gloves treatment of the N17 terrorist organisation's top gun Dimitris Koufodinas are anything but reassuring, it would be well to take note of some of the incredible provisions of the new penal code.

  • The provision to make many felonies simple misdemeanours will lead to closing about 4,500 felony cases. Thousands of cases involving theft, embezzlement, fraud, and breach of duty will simply disappear.
  • No thief or fraudster will be prosecuted unless the victim files suit. For example if a policeman sees people robbing a shop, a car, or a house when their owners are absent he or she will not be able to intervene unless the victim requests that. Also, if a mayor is stealing from the municipality, he or she must file suit against themselves! That is because the crime of breach of duty is prosecuted only when someone files suit.
  • In cases of negligent homicide (involuntary manslaughter) with many victims the ten-year maximum sentence will be reduced to five years. When someone makes Molotov cocktails to commit arson or even murders (as occurred at Marfin Bank in central Athens during a protest march), he or she will be charged with a misdemeanor and quite possibly will be sentenced to community service - which means no penalty as the...
Continue reading on: