Darwin man brutally beaten in Greece, GoFundMe helps him return home

The family of an Australian man who was assaulted in Greece are desperately trying to get him home.

43-year-old Charlie Kassopoulis was in Rhodes fulfilling military requirements and helping to liquidate his late father’s estate.

Charlie’s sister Michelle, 45, said two men she called “beggars” had stolen the code and were trying to sell it, and she claimed she was addicted to drugs.

Charlie is believed to have gone outside, approached the men, and told them to get out.

“That’s what I confirmed after watching CCTV footage,” Michelle told news.com.au from Rhodes.

Charlie was severely beaten over the head with an iron bar and stabbed multiple times in the throat and chest.

“There are blood stains in his bedroom, and the bed and pillows are completely bloody. This is where Charlie’s phone was,” said a distraught Michelle.

“He called a neighbor and called the police. An ambulance arrived and paramedics applied pressure to the puncture wound in the neck to reduce the amount of bleeding. This was said to have saved his life.”

According to Michelle, his brother suffered serious injuries including a head injury, a skull fracture, an explosive jaw fracture, a broken trachea, a broken collarbone and a ruptured lung.

He was immediately taken to Rhodes Hospital and remains in the ICU.

Two men were later arrested in the attack, Michelle said, adding they would likely be charged with attempted murder.

“The Rhodes police and forensics team have also called on the Athens forensics team to be present at the crime scene. This is the second most horrific crime ever committed on the island.”

CCTV footage showed brain matter and blood on Charlie’s clothes and shoes, Michelle said.

She, along with sisters Jackie and Maria, 40, and her mother, Dennis, 67, took the first flight out of Darwin to go to Rhodes to be with Charlie after the incident in late May. rice field.

“These situations are what you read about and watch movies about. We were shocked, emotional and angry,” Michelle told news.com.au.

“It’s really hard to describe the range of emotions that comes from having your brother and son brutally attacked and not knowing if he lives or dies.

Since then, brother go fund me To raise funds to bring my brother home. The page has raised over $67,000, including his generous $10,000 donation from one family.

“We are very humble, grateful, angry, surprised, and emotional, and we cannot thank people enough.

“We often shake our heads in disbelief at the support and generosity. We are personally grateful to all our donors.”

Charlie’s look

Michelle said he was initially unresponsive and was in a medically induced coma for 35 days after suffering a head injury.

The family is unsure about the status of Charlie’s trachea, larynx, vocal cords, or neurological condition.

“But now, months later, he is communicative and responsive. I can’t speak because of this,” said Michelle.

“They performed emergency surgery and removed part of his skull to make room for swelling in his brain.

“I was told this also saved his life. The surgeon was very surprised – these extensive injuries are serious and life-threatening, and it is very rare for a patient to survive surgery.”

However, the family is desperate to bring Charlie home and provide him with all the surgery and care he needs.

While Michelle is immensely grateful for the care and support provided by Rhodes’ hospital, she feels “in a state of deep distress and vagueness as a result of a complex and seemingly incomprehensible healthcare system.”

“The hospital approached four different hospitals to allow Charlie to undergo the life-saving surgery (such as windpipe surgery) necessary to begin his recovery. He has been refused admission each time. ‘ said Michelle.

He was admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital, but it would cost the family over $450,000 to get him to Australia via an Aeromedical recovery that runs straight from Rhodes to Darwin.

“We are collating all of our funds, but it is with humility and deep shame that we need help to reach this enormous goal,” said Michelle.

She sees her brother as a lovable man with a “beloved heart” and never loses sight of “saving our dear Charlie.”

“We have called Charlie our ‘Gentleman’ since we were little. He has a heart of gold. “Since my father passed away from cancer in August, I’ve been trying to play a bigger role as a family caregiver,” said Michelle.

It’s also when he moved to Rhodes because he helped his father settle his fortune.

“The last few months have been very stressful, emotionally draining, exhausting and financially cumbersome, and being away from our own family has taken its toll,” Michelle said. rice field.

However, the brothers and their mother refuse to leave Charlie’s side.

Click to support the Katpoulis family with a donation here.