Op-Ed: Outrage as student to be charged with shooting Albanian burglar
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The young Greek veterinary student who shot and
killed an Albanian burglar that had held a knife to his mother's throat,
was cheered as he entered the court complex on Friday morning.
Digital Journal reported
the shooting of a 43-year-old Albanian, who together with two other men
broke into three residences in Peania in the early hours of Thursday
morning. In the second home the gang entered the female owner was
threatened at knife-point but her two sons were alerted by the alarm
sounding.
One of the men alerted was a 24-year-old veterinary university student. Alexandros Alexandrakis, the suspect's lawyer, said
"He was awoken by the house alarm and saw one of two attackers wearing
masks: one was holding a knife to his mother's throat and the other
wielding an iron bar." Ekathimerini reported the student told his lawyer
“I thought they would kill my mother; my mind snapped when I saw the
knife held against her neck.”
He chased after the burglars with his hunting gun, intending to
immobilise him. The student stumbled on the ground and his gun went off,
killing the Albanian.
Ta Nea reports
that the student, who turned himself in to police, has been charged
with manslaughter. If convicted he could face up to 20 years in jail. He
is said to be in shock and fully repentant of his actions.
Police said the dead Albanian was breaking into houses with two
accomplices, one his 46-year- brother who has now surrendered to the
police. The men had entered Greece from Albania just three days earlier.
Keep Talking Greece reported
that residents of Peania described the crime wave that has overwhelmed
the village. Residents said every single house in the village had been
broken into. One resident who had been burgled twice said “We cannot go
out, we cannot sleep at night,” whilst another said the family slept in
shifts to keep watch for burglars.
As the student was brought to court hundreds of supporters applauded
him, calling out "Innocent." Because he surrendered to police
immediately he is now in custody. If he had instead chosen to evade
capture for 48 hours he would not be locked up but only required to
appear in court on given dates.
The case is all to reminiscent of many others where householders,
defending their property and loved ones, have inadvertently taken the
law into their own hands and paid the price. The young man has spoken of
his repentance, saying he did not intend to kill anyone. Locals have
appealed to the prosecution to deal with the student, described as a
quiet young man, with leniency.
The student witnessed a stranger, who had forced his way into his home,
holding a knife to his mother's throat. It is no wonder there is outrage
today in Greece over the prosecution of the man who thought of nothing
more than defending and protecting his mother against foreign criminals.
This opinion article was
written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed
herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to
reflect those of DigitalJournal.com
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