Suspected mobsters attack archaeologist

Police are investigating the brutal beating of an archaeologist last Tuesday in the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia, with reports linking it to illegal building activities on Mykonos island’s famed beaches.

The 53-year-old victim suffered a severe blow to the back of his head, broken ribs and fractures to his nose and face. He was found in the street dripping in blood and disoriented by police after they were alerted a passer-by.

The victim is an archaeologist and an employee at the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, which deals with all issues related to the preservation, protection and safekeeping of antiquities, and emphasizes the protection of the natural and cultural landscape of the island chain.

In short, it defines the measures for sustainable development with respect for the environment.

Suspicions have been raised over the attack since the victim has been closely monitoring Mykonos and, more specifically, approvals for building permits for hotels, entertainment centers, registering infringements and illegal constructions. In particular, sources in the archaeological service have linked the attack to the arbitrary building activities in areas of archaeological interest taking place on Mykonos, making special mention of two specific entertainment centers on the island’s beaches, which are under the scrutiny of the planning authorities.

“The money is so much that the operators are taking risks without thinking about the consequences or the fines,” the sources say, adding that “structures are erected overnight.”

“They don’t take anything into account. Nor, of course, do the officials, who are now afraid of the ‘Mykonos mafia’ and are afraid to do their job, to record arbitrary acts and infringements,” they added, noting that the vicious cycle of impunity is widening as “Mykonos has its own laws.”

As a result, police officers at the Kifissia Police Department have also focused their investigations on the island as other cases of violence have also been reported in the past, such as the assault on a Mykonos hotel owner last year. His car was rammed by another vehicle and he was assaulted by unknown assailants with a crowbar and left unconscious.

In 2018, a former deputy mayor on the island was also beaten viciously in an incident that led the Hellenic Police to decide to reinforce the local department to enforce order on Mykonos.