The beginning seems to have been laid by a car accident, one of those that can happen anywhere. At 10:15 am on August 19, a black agricultural vehicle of two farmers, leaving the side road of the Rethymno-Peramas provincial road, collided with the front left side of a white rental car in which a family of four German tourists was traveling and ran away. They tried to follow him to write down his license plate, signaling a stop. Everything that happened after that, punching and threatening, harassment and embolism, provoked the reaction of two ministers and led to the intervention of the Supreme Court Prosecutor’s Office with the main concern not to damage the image of a hospitable tourist destination. .

In the noise of the day, in a TV speech, they almost demanded that a representative of the local community apologize on air for what happened, although he had nothing to do with it. Several other residents of the area tried to separate their position. They saw that their country once again had a monopoly monopoly on current affairs.

Rural driver 38 years old, resident of the coastal village of Sfakaki. His navigator, who is two years younger than him, lives in the village of Alfa. As soon as their car braked hard, the white Toyota pulled away. According to the case file, the truck driver allegedly got out of the car and punched one of the German tourists in the face through the open window. A fight broke out with the brother of the downed hiker and the Cretan driver allegedly threatened them with a knife, which he denies.

The Germans got into the car, tried to run away, and the village car chased after them, hitting from behind to knock them off the road. On the main road of Perama, a country car caught up with them and reversed them. The moment was captured by the law firm’s security camera. The same video shows that it all ended with the immediate intervention of nine local residents.

In connection with this incident, residents of the area also demanded a significant law enforcement check for traffic violations. “The main road has been turned into a rush hour chase movie scene, a stone’s throw from the police station,” the statement said. They talked about a series of criminal acts behind the wheel and dangerous maneuvers on a daily basis. “Fortunately, so far only material damage has been done, there are no serious injuries,” they noted.

“Residents are not asking for a police officer for every citizen, but for more substantial control so that the impression of impunity does not spread, especially to younger ones.”

“Whoever watches the video, it seems that people are getting between the cars, going to the one that creates a problem, even risking their physical integrity,” Antonis Mattiakakis, president of the Perama community, tells K. “This is the healthy part of Mylopotamos, the big part that fights to change the bad lyrics.”

There is no shortage of such people in the villages of Psiloritis. They have been fermented from generation to generation in the social mechanisms that grow in mountain communities to avoid violence. However, there are not only peacemakers who are trying to soften differences and calm passions. Along with them, there are others who seek and offer solutions where officially the state does not seem to provide adequate support.

Mr. Mattiakakis speaks of cases of underage drivers with large vehicles, speeding within populated areas, and explains that they are not asking for a police officer for every citizen, but more substantial control so that the impression of impunity is not spread, especially to the younger ones.

In June 2020, on the occasion of the visit to Crete of the then Minister for the Protection of Citizens, Michalis Chrysochoidis, journalist Manousos Klados, then Chairman of the Municipal Council of Mylopotamos, responsible for culture and education, published an open letter. While acknowledging the problem of crime, he touched on the gap that exists between the police, judges and local residents, especially in mountainous areas. The notion that if someone cooperates with them and demands their rights, some may see them as donors. But he pointed out that teachers often take up their duties late, even though the school year has already begun, and then leave soon after not having had time to become well acquainted with humanitarian geography. He mainly highlighted the positive side of the area, the arts festivals and student awards, which are often overlooked in public debate.

Stelios Patelaros is one of those who are trying to create antibodies to crime. At the Taori club (meaning the mountainous area), she teaches dance to 100 children from 30 villages. He devoted himself to this for three decades. “I try to introduce healthy traditions to children,” she says. The choice of dance is not accidental. He remembers the words of the father of his students from Zoniana who couldn’t dance. He noticed that from time to time unknowing people like him at feasts tried to do the most reckless and dangerous things they could to attract attention. “Parcels, partings, they will turn the tables upside down, they will be drunk without restraint. Dancing does not let you get drunk, you need to control yourself,” says Mr. Patelaros. “I see kids from school and they are so good at having fun. I see others doing everything to get attention.”

“Good Man” Shows No Violent Force

Michael Herzfeld, a Philhellenic anthropologist and Harvard academic who received honorary Greek citizenship in 2021, has methodically studied traditions in the villages of Mylopotamos since the 70s. Regarding the media’s handling of the incident with the German tourists, he tells K that there is often a tendency to distort Cretan reality. “They take every act of violence or lawlessness as a sign of inherited criminal tendencies and ignore various social mechanisms of reconciliation, such as “sasmos”, the creation of special committees against animal theft already in the 1970s, the role of women and small soybeans in resolving disagreements between representatives large soybeans,” he notes. He describes all this in his book Poetics of Masculinity (Alexandria Publications, 2012).

As he points out, based on his research and experience (he lived in Zoniana for two years and recently visited them for a week in August), “real masculinity in the mountain villages of Crete is manifested in displays of strength that are unlike anything else. but cruel.” He explains that a “good man” is one who, “ready to defend himself and his family, even his entire patrilineal flag, uses a show of force precisely to discourage those interested in disturbing the peace.” Such a man speaks softly, but firmly. He is not threatening unless someone provokes him first. Such men condemn those who, as they say, are “bullying” because excessive competitive behavior without provocation undermines a sense of social solidarity.

Former Mylopotamos Municipal Council Chairman Manousos Klados points out to K that they are not ignoring or hiding the problems under the carpet, but says they have not received significant support from the state on various issues. “When I was responsible for education in the municipality of Mylopotamos, I asked for a special program to be introduced in the schools of the area with the appointment of permanent psychologists and social workers in order to solve problems of bad attitude and help students and parents at several levels. We were completely ignored,” he says. He adds that before the pandemic, nine different theater groups were operating in Mylopotamos, but their request for the creation of a Public IEC with the theatrical arts was not heard. Among other things, they demanded the creation of other schools to train farmers and pastoralists so that people working in the primary sector could develop their profession. He talks about a number of cultural events and the Tallay festival, which has been held since 2000 in all the surrounding villages, relying on its own strength and mainly on the local artistic potential. He reports that more than 40 painters, icon painters, engravers and sculptors live and work in a small mountainous region. “Yes, there is a serious crime problem in Mylopotamos, but there is another Mylopotamos trying to change the situation,” he says.

Christina Stiliara, a representative of the Perama Gymnastics Sports Club, has been living in the area for the past seven years. He notices that now more and more children play sports, they learn respect, victory and defeat. He says that before he settled there, he heard about a difficult place, with peculiarities. “But I found friendly and warm people,” he emphasizes. “The proportion of those who have delinquent behavior is small, but, unfortunately, they are the ones who hear the most about them.”