Manolis Mazonakis, the father of the Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis, broke his silence for the first time since his son's death, saying the men he holds responsible must be sent to prison and never released.
A case file has been compiled against Ilias Theodoropoulos and Ioanna Gaka, two doctors at a private clinic in Kolonaki, an upscale district of Athens, over the criminal offence of exposure resulting in death, a charge under Greek law that covers conduct which endangers a person's life and leads to their death.
Father's television appeal
Speaking on the Greek television programme Live News on the afternoon of Friday, September 11, Manolis Mazonakis broke down in tears as he called for the two doctors to face exemplary punishment, saying nothing could bring his son back.
He said the accused had to go to prison and never come out. He asked who would bring his child back to him. He said they had done the wrong, and asked how many more people would die whom Giorgos could have saved, before asking who would help his own family now.
Charges against the two doctors
Theodoropoulos and Gaka are the two doctors named in the case file over the singer's death at their Kolonaki clinic. The offence they are accused of, exposure resulting in death, is a distinct charge under Greek criminal law from homicide, though it is treated seriously as it applies when a person's failure to act, or negligent conduct, leaves someone in a dangerous state that proves fatal.
Who was Giorgos Mazonakis
Giorgos Mazonakis was a well known singer in Greece, with a long career in the country's popular music scene. His death has drawn wide attention in the Greek press, with the case against the two clinic doctors following in its wake.
Alongside his call for the accused to be jailed, Manolis Mazonakis also expressed anxiety that there could be further victims if the matter is not addressed.
