Greek prosecutors push for faster exhumations of Tempi crash victims using Dutch lab

One year after families secured approval for the exhumation of bodies from the Tempi train accident, Aikaterini Papaioannou, head of the Larissa Prosecutor's Office, has ordered forensic pathologists to hasten all necessary steps. The directive references the recent choice of the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) as the laboratory capable of performing the required specialized tests. Experts must now confirm the lab’s capacity, meet technical conditions, and arrange sample collection, storage, and transport according to NFI’s specifications.

They are also tasked with setting a precise exhumation date in coordination with relevant authorities and ensuring the presence of required personnel and proper documentation. The push comes after families, including hunger striker Panos Routsi, father of a victim named Denís, campaigned intensively for the process to move forward.