The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that the criminal and disciplinary system in Greece is "seriously lacking in rigor and incapable of having a deterrent effect to ensure the effective prevention of illegal acts such as torture."
Focusing on the case of two Greek men, who were tortured by police officer C.E. after committing various road traffic offences in 2002, the court decided that the sanctions posed on the police officer in question were "disproportionately lenient."
The police officer was previously given a five-year prison sentence commuted to a fine of five euros per day of detention- payable in 36 instalments over three years, instead of the maximum amount of 100 euros per day as provided for by domestic law.
The European Court of Human Rights said in the official press release of the case that the outcome of the Greek proceedings against the police officer had not provided "appropriate redress" for the violation of Article 3 of the Human Rights Act that prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. The court also added that the length of the Greek criminal proceedings, which lasted from 2003 to 2010, violated the right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time, adding that an effective remedy was also not given.
The Court ruled that Greek authorities were to pay each of the two applicants "26,000 euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage and 2,000 euros jointly, for costs and expenses."
