Erietta Molcho, a 23-year-old Architecture student at the University of Thessaloniki, was one of the victims of the Tempi train disaster on the night of February 28, 2023. Tragically, what makes Erietta’s case stand out is that no trace of her body or DNA was found at the scene of the crash. This absence is due to an unprecedented and controversial decision by the Greek government to excavate the crime scene, remove the soil, and resurface it with cement just four days after the collision.
In a deeply ironic twist, Erietta’s family history intertwines with the horrors of the past. In 1943, her grandmother, a young Jewish-Greek woman from Thessaloniki, was forced to board a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Two years later, she returned to a free Greece to share the story of the atrocities she endured in the Nazi concentration camps. Erietta’s grandmother was one of the few Jewish-Greeks to survive the Holocaust.
Eighty years later, Erietta boarded a train, not for a concentration camp, but for a journey to her hometown of Thessaloniki, seeking safety and a peaceful return. Unfortunately, Erietta never arrived home, and not a single strand of her hair was ever found.
At some point in our lives, we all become passengers on a journey of self-discovery, a path on which we are entitled to care and protection from the state. The Greek government, however, has failed in this regard. As members of the Greek diaspora, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to stand in solidarity with the families of the Tempi disaster. We must demand justice and a transparent investigation into this tragic event.
NOTE: Demonstrations and vigils will take place this week in over 100 cities outside Greece, where Greek communities reside. Below are the details for events in Australia:
MELBOURNE
Friday, February 28, 12:00 PM
Melbourne Greek Consulate
37-39 Albert Road, Melbourne
SYDNEY
Friday, February 28, 12:00 PM
Sydney Greek Consulate
2/219-223 Castlereagh St, Sydney
ALSO IN SYDNEY
Friday, February 28, 6:00 PM
Sydney Town Hall
483 George St, Sydney
PERTH
Friday, February 28, 6:30 PM
Perth Greek Consulate
7/16 St Georges Terrace, Perth
