The two “terms” of the yoga teacher at Dromokaiteio psychiatric hospital, as claimed by a relative of her victim on MEGA’s “Live News” show, are indicative of her explosive outbursts of rage when she encountered “walls” to her demands for loans, housing and food. The three arson attacks within a span of 12 days, in Nea Erythraia, Metamorphosis and Kifisia, brought the 56-year-old to face her responsibilities. The 56-year-old appeared like a woman of her time: social media posts that revealed the profile of someone who drained life through innocent pleasures and travels. However, she was the same person who unleashed blind fury when people refused to give her money.
The 56-year-old allegedly placed incendiary devices sequentially in her aunt’s car on January 17 in Metamorphosis, in a family friend’s car on January 23 in Erythraia, and in a former neighbor’s car on January 29 in Kifisia. All three victims reportedly refused something to the 56-year-old, based on their testimonies. The yoga teacher was arrested, remanded in custody and transferred to the psychiatric hospital of Korydallos prison.
Yoga teacher case: presented herself as Nemesis
The yoga teacher had left writing samples in her social media posts. She presented herself as Nemesis, punishment and divine justice. She reportedly wrote: “Wisdom doesn’t punish, wisdom reveals. No one can bear to see themselves without a mask.” Also: “You should see the faces of all those who are against me when they see me in front of them. As if they’re seeing divine justice.”
In the case of the second explosion, in Nea Erythraia, an injury was recorded, while the vehicle owner tried to extinguish the fire. He was a family friend of hers. Regarding the third and final explosion, of a former neighbor’s car on January 29, it reportedly happened because the woman refused to lend her money and accommodate her. At least, that’s what she told MEGA. “We were old neighbors and she asked me for financial help and accommodation. I couldn’t accommodate her. I haven’t seen her for many years and we had absolutely no communication. I don’t know how it occurred to her to make this move after so many years. The investigation will prove many things. I’m very upset,” the woman said.
“My children were trembling”
The aunt of the 56-year-old yoga teacher was the first victim. The woman and her children experienced terror on January 17, when an incendiary device placed under her car exploded. Moreover, as mentioned in the report, the yoga teacher had fled from the garage where her aunt’s car was parked. According to the latter, the incident occurred because she refused to lend her money. Also, her description of the car exploding and coming out onto the street is shocking. “She burned my car, I’m the aunt. The explosions happened inside the garage. We were all terrified, we jumped up. We were very scared. We were shocked,” the 56-year-old’s aunt initially said. And she added: “My children were trembling from the explosions that happened in the building. We were afraid the building might catch fire because right above the garage was the bedroom… and it would have caught fire. From the explosions the car came out of the garage and went into the street. Fortunately, otherwise the building would have caught fire.”
“She’s an unruly girl. Where could she stay here. Here we fear the worst. She asks for money, she wanted to get money. She had been locked up twice at Dromokaiteio, there was medical care, she came out of there and from then on I don’t know,” emphasized a relative of the arson attack victim. “She went to many relatives and threatened, asked for money,” he commented.
She had been arrested for assault 10 years ago
Police had arrested the 56-year-old when she was 46 for the same reason, namely for an arson attack on her father’s car. Her aunt said she was often the victim of sarcasm from the yoga teacher, while the money given to her by the family disappeared. “I was kind to her, spoke to her nicely and she mocked me. She had been in prison and when she got out of prison, she wanted some money to be able to stand on her feet again, to become like before. My brother gave her money, she spent it. After a while, here we go again for money,” her aunt added.
Between incidents, the middle-aged woman reportedly rented in Kifisia and then first introduced herself as a yoga teacher. She targeted, according to the report, even those who had helped her: “They pay to deprive me of even food and shelter.” The chain of events reportedly led to isolation and the overflow of rage. Her son spoke of lack of help: “She had been in psychiatric hospitals many times before and they left her without adequate treatment. She needs help and unfortunately she’s not given proper help.”
Yoga teacher’s lawyer: “The state’s treatment of the mentally ill is the problem”
Nancy Papachroni, appointed lawyer of the yoga teacher, confirmed her son’s statements. “The problem is how the mentally ill are treated by the state today,” the lawyer commented, with Nikos Evangelatos emphasizing that there is essentially no treatment of the mentally ill. The lawyer stressed that she has requested psychiatric evaluation, while commenting that her client denies the charges.
