The 33-year-old mother charged with the premeditated murder of one of her three daughters was remanded custody and was taken back to prison after she testified for over nine hours before the investigating magistrate and the prosecutor on Monday. Investigation continues at multiple levels including the deaths of the two other daughters, the exhumation of the 9-year-old child and a former landlord.
The woman has denied the charge and claimed that the powerful anesthetic Ketamine that caused the death of her 9-year-old daughter Georgina was administered by mistake by the hospital doctors.
In her testimony, she reportedly said she will never admit anything because she did not do anything.
The governor of the children hospital Paidon officially denied on Monday that ketamine was prescribed or administered to the child who died on January 29.
The mother of three children was arrested in Patras, western Peloponnese, on March 30, when the toxicological analysis of Georgina showed high doses of ketamine in her blood.
Nobody saw the mother administering the substance to her daughter, however, she was the only person to be with the child 24/7.
Georgina’s death was preceded by that of her sisters, Iris -6 months old in 2021 from heart defect- and Malina -3.5 years old in 2019 from liver failure. KTG reported thoroughly here and here.
Following the woman’s testimony, an Athens investigating magistrate and a prosecutor decided she should be held pending trial, as she is considered dangerous and could commit new crimes.
According to Mega TV late on Monday, upon hearing the decision the woman burst into tears even fearing for her life in prison due to angry reactions of the society including inmates in two women prisons who openly opposed that she would be transferred there.
Society swears at her
For one more time, an angry crowd was waiting for the woman outside the court where she was taken from the Police headquarters under draconian security measures. The people shouted “Death!”, swears and curses at her.
Video: No crowd was around when the woman was taken back to Police headquarters late on Monday. She will b transfer to Korydalos prison on tomorrow, Tuesday.
Deaths of two more daughters under investigation
After the woman’s arrest, the files of the deaths of her two other daughters have been reopened and authorities review again the autopsy reports, while laboratory tests on stored tissue samples are being carried out for one more time.
Baby girl Iris died in the family’s home, while Melina died in the hospital.
Both autopsy reports ruled out pathological or genetic reasons, however, no police investigation was launched at that time.
As investigation continues at multiple levels, the prosecutor ordered the exhumation of Georgina’s body as eyewitnesses testified that the girl’s tablet was placed in the coffin following the mother’s request. Authorities suspect that the woman may have used the child’s tablet to search for ketamine and even purchased it online.
Exhumation of landlord ordered
At the same time, the prosecutor ordered also the exhumation of a 69-year-old woman, the landlord of the girls’ parents, suspecting that her death circumstances may have been “mysterious” as well.
According to local media reports, the elderly woman, a well-situated widow with some health issues, had made a power of attorney to the girls’ father allowing him to deal with her financial issues. The woman died in 2020.
Several testimonies claimed that she was cremated but investigation carried out by local reporters revealed that there is a grave of the woman in a cemetery of Patras paid by the girls’ father.
Local daily Pelop.gr and other media claimed that the 30-year-old man who had a 1000-euro job as worker at a transportation company and the arrested mother was a housewife, were seen spending money beyond their income situation.
The father
The father who frequently appeared with the mother on TV magazines right after the death of Georgina, distanced himself from her when she was arrested.
The woman reportedly filed for divorce on Monday. The couple seems to have been separated after the death of the second child but got together after Georgina’s death although the father is allegedly now with another woman who is also pregnant.
It is not clear where authorities also investigate the father but so far there has been no arrest warrant issued.
Cannibalism on TV
Prominent crime journalists have predicted that at least two more arrests in the case were due.
Dozens of neighbors, relatives, old high school friends, doctor and nurses, so pretty much everybody who ever came across with the woman appears on TV shows putting a bit of own sauce on the story that it’s getting more and more scurrilous, while the motives remain the big mystery.
To this crowd one has to add also an army of psychologists, psychiatrists, physiognomists and whateverists who analyze the woman’s but also the father’s personality through their words, intonation, body language and the glance of their eyes even though they have never met her in person or spoke with her, professionally or private.
To this one should add former police directors and private investigators as well as police unionists who, of course, have an opinion on the case that has shocked the Greek society.
