The murder of Kyriaki Griva and the actions of the authorities involved in the case are at the center of proceedings Wednesday before the Mixed Jury Court of Appeal, as the case is heard for a second time.
Griva, 28, was fatally stabbed by her former partner on April 1, 2024, outside a police station after she had approached officers seeking protection.
The case has drawn particular attention because the killing took place in front of police officers, following Griva’s attempt to seek help from the authorities.
Former partner appeals life sentence
The 40-year-old man convicted of Griva’s murder at trial is appearing before the appeals court.
The Mixed Jury Court unanimously found him guilty of intentional homicide, carrying and using a weapon, and possession of drugs for personal use. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus five years.
The trial court also considered whether he had been aware of the nature of his actions or whether mental illness, medication and alcohol had prevented him from understanding the unlawful nature of what he was doing.
The court unanimously ruled that there were no grounds for diminished criminal responsibility.
The issue of criminal responsibility is expected to be a central point of dispute in the appeal, with the defense seeking to link the killing to what it describes as severe psychopathology.
Griva’s family strongly rejects that argument.
Her family has also criticized what it describes as the defendant’s continued detention at the Korydallos Prison Psychiatric Hospital, saying it is based solely on recommendations from his treating psychiatrists and lacks a legal and medical basis.
Court findings on the killing
According to the judicial referral ruling, the judges concluded that the defendant committed the crime while sober, after persistently and systematically following Griva both on the day of the killing and the previous day.
The judges also found that he killed Griva after she had ended their relationship two months earlier because of his abusive behavior.
Four police officers face separate trial
The actions and omissions of police officers involved in the case are being examined in a separate criminal proceeding.
Following a criminal investigation, four police officers have been referred to trial by a judicial ruling on charges of causing death through omission by a person under a duty to act.
Those facing trial are the officer on duty, the supervisor and the guard at the Agioi Anargyroi Police Station, as well as the emergency call-center operator who answered Griva’s request for help.
The operator had reportedly told her that “the patrol car is not a taxi.”
The separate case places the conduct of the authorities at the center of further judicial scrutiny over the events that preceded Griva’s death.
