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The parents of an eight-month-old infant whose frozen body was found inside a suitcase in an Athens apartment have provided conflicting accounts of when and how their child died, while shocking forensic findings indicate the infant was fatally stabbed while still alive.

The 43-year-old father and his 38-year-old partner, who face intentional homicide charges, have disputed the forensic conclusion and are seeking an independent technical adviser to reassess the evidence. The man claimed the infant died in June 2022, while the woman placed the death a year later; they have also given different accounts of whether she was present when the child died.

Three defendants have been remanded in custody in connection with the death of the eight-month-old infant: the alleged mother, a German national, the father, a naturalized citizen, and the 26-year-old Afghan who was reportedly in a relationship with the couple’s 15-year-old daughter.

Forensic findings are central to the investigation, with a coroner’s report stressing that the infant suffered about 20 injuries from a sharp object, mainly to the back, with the injuries believed to have been inflicted while the child was alive.

Investigators are also examining testimony from the couple’s three children. The 15-year-old daughter and her 12-year-old brother reportedly knew that the infant was being kept in a freezer, while their nine-year-old brother has said he knew nothing about the death or his parents’ subsequent actions.

The Afghan man denies involvement in the infant’s death and is expected to argue that he believed the teenage girl was 19. He also reportedly maintains that he visited the Kypseli apartment to meet her but did not live there and had no knowledge of the infant.

The parents face intentional homicide charges, while the Afghani faces separate charges involving sexual acts with a minor.