Twelve military doctors and nursing staff have been indicted to stand trial next year over the death of an army conscript just hours after a routine operation at a military hospital in Thessaloniki.
The defendants face misdemeanour-level charges of negligent manslaughter over the death, on November 3, 2023, of 27-year-old Nikos Gatsis. The national serviceman had undergone surgery to remove his thyroid, but died shortly afterwards as a result of massive internal bleeding.
All 12 are accused of a string of mistakes and omissions following the operation that allegedly led to a delayed reaction to the internal bleeding. The dead conscript’s family is pushing for the charges to be upgraded to murder with possible malice aforethought.
A Thessaloniki military court is due to hear the case on January 5, 2027.
Two separate cases are pending over an alleged cover-up after the soldier’s death, while his family has said it will seek damages.
