In a case that has deeply shocked Greek society, the sudden deaths of four children in Amaliada, western Greece, are now under urgent investigation.
The most recent death, which occurred on August 5, 2024, has raised significant questions about a possible connection between the fatalities. Relatives of the deceased children are calling for answers, and the head of the Patras Appeals Prosecutor’s Office has ordered a swift preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The tragic sequence of events began in 2021 when 21-year-old Irini, who was looking after her friend’s baby, reported that the child developed breathing difficulties and was later pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. A year later, in 2022, Irini’s own 19-day-old baby died from interstitial pneumonia.
Then, in 2023, Irini’s second child passed away at Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital in Athens, with the official cause of death listed as epileptic seizures. However, doubts remain as to whether anyone else was present in the hospital room at the time of the child’s death.
Most recently, in 2024, a 15-month-old child under Irini’s care died in Amaliada, though no clear cause of death has yet been established. Irini, now aged 24, voluntarily appeared at the Amaliada Security Department with her lawyer to provide testimony. She reportedly claimed that the baby was alive when they arrived at the hospital. The child’s mother has since filed a lawsuit alleging that her child’s death was the result of medical malpractice.
Irini has consistently denied any involvement in her children’s deaths, stating that she is awaiting the results of histological and toxicological tests for the third child. “I am not involved. I want my children’s souls to be vindicated and the shadows that weigh on me to be lifted,” she said in a recent statement.
Irini’s lawyer has called for the appointment of independent experts, including a forensic doctor and a paediatrician, to review the medical tests conducted on the children.
Genetic testing carried out on Irini’s two deceased children revealed no genetic abnormalities in the 19-day-old infant who died in 2022. However, further investigation is needed to fully examine the genetic results related to the two-month-old baby who passed away in 2023.
A new and concerning aspect of the case has been revealed by the child protection organisation, “The Smile of the Child.” It has been reported that Irini fled her family home in 2015, claiming she was the victim of abuse. Between 2017 and 2020, multiple reports of neglect and abuse were made, including one from a family member who directly contacted the organisation, warning that Irini’s child was at risk.
In response to the ongoing investigation, the case of the infant deaths has now been transferred from the Amaliada Security Department to the Homicide Department of Attica Security, where experienced officers will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of both Irini’s children and the recent death of 15-month-old Panagiotakis.
The death of little Panagiotakis, which has been the most recent and high-profile, is expected to play a crucial role in determining the direction of the investigation. Authorities are awaiting the results of toxicological and histological tests to determine whether there is any evidence of foul play.
Although toxicology tests on the second of Irini’s children, who passed away in October 2023, came back clear, further tests on the remaining three children included in the investigation are still pending. As the investigation progresses, more developments are expected in what is shaping up to be one of the most tragic and complex cases in recent Greek history.
(Source: To Vima)