Seven arrested over dozens of deaths in Cretan nursing home

Police on Crete arrested seven people on Wednesday in relation to the deaths of dozens of people in a private nursing home in Hania.

The seven, which include the owner and her daughter, two doctors, three nurses and administrative staff, face charges of forming a criminal organization.

The extensive case file reportedly refers to 30 homicides and 8 cases of attempted homicide (between 2009 and 2021), fraud, forgery, the issuing of false medical certificates, and breach of duty.

Police sources say the number of deaths from neglect is higher but there were difficulties in gathering evidence to prosecute those cases.

The case file states that the home allocated 0.55 cents a day for residents’ food, which rarely included meat or fruit. The milk served was diluted with water. Feeding was often forced, with the result that some residents choked. Residents were sometimes fed leftover food or offal provided for free by local suppliers.

Residents were rarely washed and their clothing rarely cleaned while the towels and razors they used were shared. In some cases, residents were forced to wear used nappies.

The case file also states that some patients were tied down to beds with leather straps on their arms and legs. It is also alleged that residents were prescribed strong sedatives.

Searches in the homes of the arrested yielded €105,000 in cash and large amounts of jewelry, which police believe are the proceeds of criminal activity.

The seven arrested are expected to testify before magistrates on Friday and Saturday.

An investigation into the home was launched in April 2021 following complaints of a lack of care.