All of the cases assigned to and examined by the coroner’s office in the western city of Patras since 2020 will be transferred to Athens for a re-examination – cases related to both fatalities and living people.
The decision comes days after the relevant justice minister ordered the specific service suspended, in the wake of revelations regarding an explosive case involving the alleged murder of at least five infants and toddlers, dating back to 2013, by a local woman.
The suspect, 25-year-old Irini Mourtzoukou, a resident of the southeast city of Amaliada, allegedly killed her one-and-half-year-old sister when she was 13, followed by the toddler of the woman who acted as her bridal “groomswoman”, her own first infant child at the age of 22, her second baby a year later, and finally, the infant son of her then companion and roommate.
The case has received extensive nationwide media coverage and led to charges being filed last week.
Earlier, a local Patras woman, was first charged and arrested for killing her three daughters in separate incidents over several years. She was also convicted and now remains incarcerated pending an appeal.
High-ranking justice ministry officials on Monday arrived at the Patras coroner’s service along with police to remove all the case files.
The justice ministry has promised that whenever necessary further examinations will be held, while any omissions or wrongdoing will be referred to a relevant prosecutor.
