The trial for the death of 3-year-old Angelo was adjourned after a lengthy and emotionally charged session held today at the Mixed Jury Court of Heraklion, Crete. During today’s hearing, new testimonies were presented, aimed at investigating the circumstances under which the small child was transported to the hospital, as well as the events that allegedly occurred in the home where he lived. The case continues to shock the local community of Crete. The heavy atmosphere of the trial is intensified by the testimonies, which evoke strong emotions in those following the proceedings. After the end of today’s lengthy session, the court announced the adjournment. The trial is set to continue on Tuesday, June 2, while new session dates have already been scheduled for June 17, 24, 26, 29, and 30.
Trial for 3-year-old Angelo’s death: 45-year-old’s sister “points” to the mother
The trial for the tragic death of little Angelo continues at the Heraklion Mixed Jury Court, with the testimony of the 45-year-old defendant’s sister shedding more light on the case details. The witness described her perspective on her brother’s relationship with the child, presenting a series of incidents and moments that outline the events before the fatal incident. As she stated, she had observed that Angelo had good relations with the defendant. In fact, she mentioned an incident during which she remembers seeing Angelo in her brother’s arms. According to her, the child called him “daddy,” while there appears to have been a previous verbal episode between the child and his mother.
In another part of her testimony, the witness referred to her acquaintance with the child’s mother, aged 27, saying that her initial impression was positive. However, after a few days she reportedly changed her opinion, when her brother expressed concerns to her about the mother’s indifference regarding the child’s care. She also spoke about an incident that caught her attention: a bruise she had noticed on Angelo’s ear. When she asked the mother what had happened, she claimed that the little one had fallen on the bed. Referring to other events, the defendant’s sister testified that her brother had confided in her that he had observed the mother pressuring the child to eat, pinching him on the cheeks and raising her voice. He, as she says, had warned her to stop these behaviors.
In a characteristic moment, the witness said she had asked her brother why he didn’t inform the mother’s parents about what he observed. He reportedly replied that he had tried, but the young woman’s parents had discouraged him. The witness further described her brother as a calm, “normal person,” who didn’t create tensions or have fights in the family. When asked about the day of the tragic event, she revealed that she learned the news from the defendant’s ex-wife. She mentioned that, despite her attempts to contact him, she couldn’t reach him by phone. She finally went to the hospital trying to find out what happened, but by then he had already been arrested.
Two days after the incident, the woman visited her brother in detention. He, as she stated, denied any involvement telling her he didn’t touch the child. In their next meeting, the defendant recounted to her the events of that day: according to his account, on the morning of the incident, the 27-year-old mother took the child downstairs to go get coffee. During this time, he was in the kitchen when he heard a loud noise and saw the child injured. The defendant’s sister also testified that in another visit her brother told her he was afraid, because he had warned the child’s mother that he would report her. According to the witness, she reportedly replied that if he did, she would report him too. “Angelo didn’t approach his mother” the witness said to explain the relationship the child had with her.
“I performed CPR 30 times on little Angelo, he opened his eyes and closed them again” – 19-year-old neighbor’s shocking testimony
Earlier, the 19-year-old neighbor took the stand, who claimed she heard voices and rushed to the house to help. According to her testimony, the defendant invited her in telling her “come in” and assured her that the child had hit the table. She was in the area when the ambulance arrived. As she stated, she woke up from the defendant’s loud voices, whom she described as extremely agitated. In her words: “I woke up from his voices, and he was clearly distressed. I approached and tried to help by performing CPR on the child.” In her testimony she characterized the defendant as social and helpful toward neighbors. She noted that she had never observed aggressive behavior from him and described him as protective toward the area’s children. Additionally, she mentioned that his parents’ death seemed to have affected him deeply.
She referred to previous quarrels between the defendant and her father, without however knowing further details. She also maintained that the divorce from his first wife was difficult for him. Regarding Angelo’s mother, she noted that she hadn’t perceived signs of mental retardation from her. She spoke about a visit she had made to their house and described the child playing with his toy cars, appearing happy and affectionate. The mother’s behavior toward the child seemed normal to her, although she mentioned that she might scold him occasionally, but always within reasonable limits. Finally, she revealed that at some point she had observed a scratch on the child, which was explained to her as coming from an accident.
Marathon proceedings
The trial is progressing at a slow pace, as more than 35 witnesses have been called to testify. Among them are doctors, paramedics, relatives, neighbors and people from the defendants’ circle. During previous days, the testimonies caused intense emotion. Doctors and paramedics described 3-year-old Angelo’s critical condition when he was transported to the hospital, as well as the contradictory explanations given, as they report, for his injuries.
An ambulance anesthesiologist had testified that the child arrived frozen but breathing. According to her, she asked the mother if there was any health problem, with her answering that the child had an issue with his genitals. She also referred to conflicting testimonies regarding the child’s injury, where sometimes it was said he fell from stairs and other times that he fainted watching television. The same doctor described the child’s condition, noting a hematoma on the forehead, old wounds and apparent signs of weakness, elements she maintained strengthened suspicions of abuse. She added that the mother seemed indifferent and preferred to sit in front of the ambulance with the driver instead of accompanying her child. The most shocking moment in her testimony was when she described Angelo’s last reaction. As she mentioned, she called him by name and he opened his eyes briefly, before taking a heavy breath and losing consciousness permanently.
Other ambulance crew members testified they found the child unconscious, frozen and visibly injured. They referred to hits on the face, legs and fingers. The explanations given connected these marks to falls or the child’s carelessness. Equally significant were the hospital doctors’ testimonies. The pediatric ICU supervisor mentioned that Angelo’s injuries were clear signs of abuse, with severe blows to the head, on the back—resembling marks from an object like a belt or rod—and cigarette burns. The first pediatrician who received the child noted it was the most serious condition she had ever encountered in a young patient. In their testimonies, family members of the 27-year-old defendant appeared supportive of her, attempting to disconnect her from the abuse. Her mother mentioned that her daughter was not in a position to react and implied that her partner was responsible for the child’s injuries. Even her sister maintained that the 27-year-old’s relationship with her partner was characterized by fear and control. The judicial proceedings have been interrupted several times due to fatigue or tension episodes in the courtroom. Additionally, complaints have been reported from witnesses about threats they received from relatives of the 45-year-old defendant.
