Police did not use information correctly to prevent soccer violence says minister
Citizen Protection Minister Yiannis Oikonomou admitted in an interview with the public broadcaster ERT on Thursday that “there was information that the Hellenic Police did not use correctly” to prevent the violence between rival football team supporters in Nea Philadelphia, which led to the murder of AEK fan Michalis Katsouris. He was commenting on the measures against fan violence announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the previous day.
“We highlight the mistakes and address them in order to improve and to avoid mistakes in the future,” Oikonomou said.
He noted, however, that the missteps should not expose the police force to blanket criticism and contempt, underlining that police officers had arrested 102 extreme right-wing hooligans on the specific night. “A series of mistakes took place at AEK’s football ground but this does not mean we have a failed police force,” he added.
“No measure by itself can eliminate delinquent behavior,” Oikonomou said, explaining that a holistic approach with actions and interventions in a series of sectors was required to address the phenomenon. [AMNA]
