Tragic murder-suicide in Athens as mother throws child over balcony before jumping

A neighbourhood in Athens has been left shocked after a family tragedy took place in Pefki, when a mother threw her 5-year-old daughter off the 3rd floor of their apartment building then also jumped, resulting in a murder-suicide.

The horrific incident took place on Kolokotroni Street on Thursday, 2nd of January at 11:40 am.

According to Ant1 News, the mother was a kindergarten teacher who was suffering from mental illness and the child was struggling with health issues.

The father of the young child was at work when he received a call from neighbours telling him to rush home, where he found both his wife and daughter dead.

Neighbours heard the husband screaming, "Why did you do this to me? Why did you do this to me?"

In statements to reporters, the woman's father-in-law and grandfather of the 5-year-old child described the moment he arrived at their home and saw them both lying on the street. “I didn't know anything was going on because my son was working on New Year's. They called him and told him that there was an issue at his house and he called us and told us to go see what was happening. I came here and saw my daughter-in-law dead on the street and our little girl was laying beneath a sheet," said the 32-year-old's father.

He added, "I can't believe it. Why take the child with her? Our granddaughter had health problems, but we loved her, we wanted her. Why do this? I can’t believe it".