Doctors at a university hospital in Crete have begun the delicate process of gradually waking a 3-year-old girl who remains intubated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU), following severe injuries that led to her emergency admission.
According to hospital officials, the child’s condition is being closely monitored and remains stable enough for doctors to cautiously reduce sedative and pain medication in order to assess her neurological response, breathing, and reactions to external stimuli. Medical staff describe the development as a critical step in evaluating her recovery prospects.
The child was first taken to a hospital in Chania by her mother on Thursday evening, where doctors identified serious injuries, including a subdural hematoma and extensive bruising across her body. She was immediately stabilized by medical teams, including a pediatric surgeon, before being transferred to the Pediatric ICU at the University Hospital in Heraklion due to the severity of her condition.
Authorities are investigating all possible scenarios surrounding how the injuries occurred, with neither an accident nor potential abuse within the family environment being ruled out.
The case has also taken a broader legal dimension, as both parents face serious charges, including attempted homicide, based on the medical findings and the circumstances described in the case file. The mother was brought before judicial authorities under emergency procedures, while the father—initially reported to be in Athens—was later located in Chania and detained after an investigation.
In parallel, social services and police have expanded their inquiry into the wider family environment. Three other children, believed to be siblings of the injured girl, have been placed under medical and social supervision at the hospital in Chania.
Authorities are also examining earlier reports concerning two additional children allegedly born to the mother who are said to have died in the past, with those circumstances now included in the ongoing investigation.
