Another case of femicide in Greece as a 28-year-old woman was murdered by her ex-boyfriend on Monday, 1st April, in the Athens suburb of Agioi Anargyroi.
The assailant, identified as a 39-year-old man, fatally stabbed the woman with a kitchen knife outside the local police station, where she had sought refuge and assistance.
The incident unfolded late at night when the victim, accompanied by a friend, arrived at the Agioi Anargyroi Police Station to report her ex-boyfriend's harassment. Fearful for her safety, she pleaded for police protection to return home.
According to ERT, the police station informed her that she should either file a complaint or inform the Rapid Response Centre so that a police car could attend. As she walked outside to call the emergency services as directed, the perpetrator followed her and attacked her with a knife, fatally wounding her.
The assailant then injured himself before being apprehended and hospitalised under police guard.
According to reports, the victim had previously filed complaints against her attacker for assault and rape in 2020, highlighting a history of abuse and violence.
The incident has prompted outrage and calls for accountability, with the Attica General Police Director initiating an Administrative Inquiry to investigate lapses in police response and safeguarding protocols.
George Kaliakmanis, president of the Union of police officers of Attica, condemned the brutal act of domestic violence, emphasising the urgent need for enhanced support and resources for law enforcement agencies to address such crises effectively.
A police statement Tuesday said the victim visited the precinct with a friend and reported that her former boyfriend - against whom she had made formal complaints in the past for abusive behaviour - had been loitering outside her home.
According to the statement, she requested a patrol car to take her home for her protection, but because she declined to make a formal complaint, she was directed to phone the police emergency line to send a vehicle.
The statement said she made the call on her way out of the precinct. But "while she was talking to a police operator, she was suddenly attacked by her former partner, who fatally injured her with a knife."
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou expressed shock at the killing.
"The murder ... yet another femicide, shakes and angers us," she said in a statement. "It shows ... the urgent responsibility authorities have to fight gender-based violence and crime."
(Source: To Vima)
