Life sentence for main defendant in 2017 death of 11-year-old Marios in Menidi; second defendant acquitted

Verdict delivered

A Mixed Jury Court in Athens unanimously found the primary defendant guilty of intentional homicide with possible intent in the death of 11-year-old Marios Souloukos. The boy was killed by a stray bullet on 8 June 2017 during a school celebration in the Menidi district. The court adopted the prosecution’s recommendation in full, both on the question of guilt and on the sentence. “It was a difficult decision, but it was unanimous,” the presiding judge said as the verdict was announced.

Acquittal of second defendant

The second defendant, who faced a charge of attempted homicide with possible intent, was acquitted unanimously. The court accepted the prosecutor’s argument that the offence fell under the legal concept of an unsuitable attempt, and that the abolition of the relevant provision between 2019 and 2021 prevented a conviction. The bench cleared him of all charges.

Sentencing and mitigating factors

The court imposed a life sentence on the convicted man without recognising any mitigating circumstances. The prosecutor, Antonis Kasapis, had earlier told the court he would argue against any leniency, describing the act as “of great disvalue both toward the victim and the social whole” and stating that the only appropriate penalty was life imprisonment. The judges concurred, rejecting all defence requests for reduced sentence factors. The process of deciding on mitigating factors directly affected the final sentence, and the court’s refusal to grant any ensured the maximum penalty.

Reaction outside the courtroom

Tension erupted outside the courtroom after the sentence was pronounced. Relatives of the convicted man burst into tears. His wife shouted, “My husband is innocent,” while the defendant himself told the bench, “I didn't do it, we got life for nothing. Life because I did something?” The scene underscored the emotional weight of a case that has gripped local and national attention since the 2017 tragedy.

Prosecution’s position

The prosecutor had earlier delivered a tough recommendation, asking for the conviction of the first defendant for homicide with possible intent while seeking acquittal for the second. He had signalled his intention to oppose any mitigating factors, effectively paving the way for the life sentence. The court followed this line entirely, delivering a unanimous verdict that closed a case nearly nine years in the making.