The couple accused in connection with the death of Giorgos Mazonakis are appearing before an investigating judge today, following the singer’s cardiac arrest last Wednesday at their medical clinic in Kolonaki.
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The pair have been charged with fatal negligence by joint perpetration. Meanwhile, the family of Giorgos Mazonakis, through their attorney Charalampos Lykoudes, has requested that the charges be upgraded to manslaughter with probable intent. “The defibrillator in that clinic wasn’t even operational. Based on all these deficiencies and many other arguments, we have requested that the charge be upgraded to manslaughter with probable intent,” Mr. Lykoudes stated.
The two accused were brought before the investigating judge following the filing of charges against them last Friday and were granted time to prepare their defense statements. According to the 55-year-old accused doctor, she had met Giorgos Mazonakis the day before the incident and, as she claims, observed that his health was already in a compromised state. She reportedly testified that the singer had an unusual cough, was sleep-deprived and restless, and was unable to remain on his feet for long. She maintains that they agreed to meet the following day for him to undergo the specific treatment.
“I performed an electrophysiological assessment using the equipment at my clinic and found that he was in a very poor condition,” she has stated. The accused doctor also claims that when Giorgos Mazonakis arrived at the clinic, preparations for the treatment had begun — but that the procedure itself had not yet started when the incident occurred. She says the singer told her he was tired and restless, without mentioning any specific health complaint. Regarding informed consent, she has argued that she did not request written consent because, as she explained, the patient’s presence at the clinic for the treatment implied his willingness to proceed with it.
One of the key points under investigation is the exact time Giorgos Mazonakis arrived at the clinic. The accused doctor reportedly claims the singer arrived at around 4:00 p.m. However, statements from clinic staff appear to point to a different time. According to the clinic’s receptionist, the appointment was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and Mazonakis arrived late, at approximately 2:00–2:30 p.m. This timeframe is also reportedly corroborated by CCTV footage capturing his arrival by taxi at the Kolonaki clinic.
Questions have also arisen regarding how long the singer spent in the treatment room. Based on the evidence gathered, there are indications that Giorgos Mazonakis remained there for approximately 42 minutes, a detail that reportedly appears in the medical records as well.
The circumstances surrounding the resuscitation attempt at the clinic also remain unclear. The accused doctor has claimed that her husband — who is also a defendant — used the defibrillator on the singer, without success. Her husband, however, reportedly denies having used the device at all. During the inspection of the clinic, investigators found that a defibrillator was present on the premises, but it was reportedly still inside its carrying case.
Further questions have emerged over the amount of adrenaline administered to Giorgos Mazonakis. The 58-year-old internist reportedly informed the paramedic team that one milligram had been given, while the accused doctor has stated that a total of five milligrams were administered gradually. The husband, an internist, reportedly insists that he had no prior involvement with Mazonakis, describing him solely as his wife’s patient.
According to his account, on the day in question he had three other appointments and subsequently left the clinic to get lunch. He claims he was informed of the incident by his wife and returned to perform CPR on the singer until the paramedics arrived. “I performed CPR until the paramedic team got there,” he is reported to have said.
Both defendants reportedly maintain that the medical equipment at the clinic had been duly registered with the Medical Association. Attention now turns to the accused pair’s formal testimonies on the charge of fatal negligence by joint perpetration, and the judicial authorities’ decision regarding their legal treatment going forward.