A modest memorial at the Nea Makri cemetery has brought renewed attention to the devastating Mati wildfire of July 23, 2018. Eight years after the tragedy — which also ravaged the nearby villages of Neo Voutzas and Kokkino Limanaki — families of victims and burn survivors are urging the judiciary to investigate what exactly was buried in the collective grave and whether legally mandated procedures were followed.
Unanswered Questions Persist
The fire continues to raise unresolved questions about crisis management, victim identification, and burial practices. The memorial bears the inscription: “And with the light of each new day, we ask… What? How? And Why? 23-7-2018.”
A Formal Complaint Filed
On Monday, July 20, 2026, the Association of Relatives of the Deceased and Burn Survivors of the July 23, 2018 Eastern Attica wildfires filed a formal complaint with the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos). The complaint requests a criminal investigation and is accompanied by an official dossier containing documents and evidentiary material. It focuses on the handling of human remains, identification protocols, and the collective burial site.
Concerns Over the Collective Grave
Central to the complaint is the burial plot at the Nea Makri cemetery. The association asks whether unidentified human remains were interred there — remains that may belong either to victims not yet identified or even to those already formally identified. It also raises concerns about the possible inclusion of animal remains or unrelated objects.
Another key issue involves the body of a woman recovered from the sea after the fire, transferred to the Schisto morgue, and buried only after a significant delay. The association questions whether all legally required identification procedures were completed before burial.
The complaint also calls for a review of documented cases of misdelivered human remains — incidents previously uncovered during the criminal proceedings — and requests scrutiny of any digital or other evidence that could help clarify the case.
“A Minimum Tribute to the Dead”
“All families of the victims have the right to know that their loved ones were treated with the respect demanded by law, and that every critical piece of evidence was properly evaluated,” the association stated. “Full clarification is, for us, a minimum tribute we can offer the deceased.”
The same statement stresses that for the state, investigating these allegations constitutes “the bare minimum obligation toward the victims, their families, and justice itself.”
Through its complaint to the Areios Pagos, the association seeks the initiation of a preliminary inquiry to determine whether criminal or other liabilities arise. It further requests that all necessary investigative and expert forensic actions be carried out to finally answer questions that — eight years after the tragedy — remain unanswered.