Myconos exposes lawlessness
The recent murder of the 20-year-old Australian tourist in Myconos has dealt a blow to tourism in Greece, especially for those people who truly work hard to establish a quality, safe and long-lasting tourist industry. Since this murder, more accusations have surfaced about violence on Myconos. This is not about tourism, it is about the violence that the Greeks endure during their everyday lives, and the authorities have totally lost control. It is now time for the government to get serious, especially on organized crime. Over the past 18 months, we have seen the mafia control of Crete, whereby shooting police officers without provocation clearly illustrates how people in Greece now take the law into their own hands. We saw how the mayor of Alimos and his security staff were bullied and beaten by bouncers from Greek nightclubs in order to not open the beaches, even though a court order had been issued to do so. What has happened since then? Nothing. The problem in Greece is that the mafia and the hoods not only control the nightlife, they control the beaches, the courts, the islands, everything, even the building inspectors and tax collectors. The surveys that tell us that Greece is still one of the safest places in Europe are not correct; most crimes, especially crimes against people or threats, go unreported. People are too scared, knowing that they will be targeted the minute the police get involved. Greece is fast becoming a mafia state, a state whereby criminals and people with money control the country; people are living in fear. It is time to stop. The simplest method would be to take note of what other cities around the world, including New York City and Chicago, did many years ago, and implement a zero-tolerance policy. In order to do this, the police must cooperate with the courts. The problem is that that could never happen in this country. KERRY, via e-mail.
