A new legal development has emerged in the case of the murder of Garyfallia, who was killed by her partner in 2021 on the Greek island of Folegandros. According to the family’s lawyer, the convicted killer intends to file an appeal with the Areios Pagos — Greece’s Supreme Court — seeking to overturn the life sentence handed down to him in both the first and second-degree trials.
Folegandros femicide: “He just wants to save his own skin,” her mother erupts
“He took from us a divine creature — he stole her dreams, her youth, her spirit…” her mother, Alexandra Makou, said in an emotional outburst during an interview with ALPHA TV. “He is an unrepentant man. He is a man who doesn’t ask for forgiveness — he simply wants to save his own skin. I always knew he would take it to the Supreme Court, because the only thing he cares about is getting out of prison. He cannot grasp that he took the life of a young girl. This proves, once again, that all he wants is to save his own skin,” she said emphatically. She also argued that genuine remorse must be demonstrated through actions, not words. “He could have chosen not to appeal and shown true remorse. Real forgiveness is shown through actions, not words. That would have been a sign to us that he truly regrets what he did,” she stressed.
“He wants to break his life sentence”
For his part, the family’s attorney, Alexis Mavraidis, explained that the convicted man has filed a petition for cassation with the Supreme Court, dissatisfied with the appellate court’s ruling and seeking, in plain terms, to “break” his life sentence. He noted that the Mixed Jury Court of Appeal in Syros had sentenced the killer to life imprisonment — matching the original trial verdict — unanimously rejecting his claims of diminished responsibility and crimes of passion. The attorney also emphasized that “the ruling is very soundly reasoned from a legal standpoint, thoroughly substantiated, and leaves no room for challenge.” However, he acknowledged that it is now up to the Supreme Court to rule on the appeal.
“He filed a petition for cassation before the Supreme Court — clearly, he was not satisfied with the original verdict of the Mixed Jury Court of Syros,” the lawyer stated, adding: “Obviously, he wants to break his life sentence. To put it more plainly, he is seeking more favorable criminal treatment. He has even invoked Paulo Coelho, claiming that the universe conspired to bring about what happened.” According to the attorney, the convicted man has cited mitigating factors including diminished responsibility, a crime of passion, and remorse. “The family cannot find peace either — six years later, they are still going back to court for the same case,” he noted.
