Greek juvenile court convicts 16-year-old of intentional homicide for fatal beating of 17-year-old Angelos in Serres, imposes maximum 10-year term

The crime

On the eve of Theophany, 5 January 2026, 17-year-old Angelos was beaten to death in Serres, northern Greece. The incident led to the arrest of a 16-year-old suspect, who was charged with intentional homicide.

The verdict

On 27 June 2026, the Three-Member Juvenile Court in Serres convicted the 16-year-old of intentional homicide with contingent intent under article 299 of the Greek Penal Code. The court imposed the maximum sentence permitted for a minor: 10 years’ imprisonment. The prosecutor had requested a guilty verdict for the same charge.

Defendant’s statement

In his apology, the defendant admitted striking Angelos but maintained that the blows were not lethal.

“I wanted to hit him but not to kill him.”

The court, however, found that his actions met the threshold for intentional homicide with contingent intent.

Legal context

The maximum custodial sentence for a minor convicted of intentional homicide in Greece is 10 years. The Three-Member Juvenile Court applied the maximum, reflecting the severity of the beating and its outcome.