Following her testimony yesterday to the Patras investigator and the judicial authorities’ decision to detain her temporarily, the case of 25-year-old Irini Mourtzoukou, who is accused of murdering three infants, including two of her own, and attempting to kill a friend, now enters its second, particularly critical phase.
The investigation into the case continues with authorities attempting to illuminate all aspects of the crimes that were revealed after months of investigations and testimonies.
“The defendant did not retract her testimony despite claims to the contrary, she provided answers to everything with her memorandum, faithful to her desire to take responsibility for her share. Because you know that she is not responsible for the entire share of responsibility. From here on, the case file will take its course and we will be at the disposal of the authorities,” stated her lawyer, Nikos Alexandris, after the completion of the investigative procedure yesterday.
Next steps in the Mourtzoukou case
The next steps in the judicial procedure include collecting additional forensic evidence, examining witnesses and conducting any other procedural action deemed necessary. A psychiatric evaluation will likely be conducted on the defendant as her lawyer questioned yesterday “is there anyone here who thinks that an examination of Irini Mourtzoukou shouldn’t be done to see if she has issues?”
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating whether there are other acts that haven’t been revealed, with the most significant being the case of little Panagiotakis’s death. For the case of Panagiotakis’s death, a prosecutorial investigation is underway and the completion of the re-evaluation of forensic findings by the three-member committee is expected.
The defendant – according to information – in the defense memorandum she submitted to the investigator reportedly claimed that she bears no responsibility for the child’s death and “pointed” toward the mother, saying she would contribute more evidence when called by prosecutorial authorities for this case as well, while making veiled threats about another person, saying they are threatening her.
Irini Mourtzoukou is being taken to the Korydallos women’s prison, where she will be held under strict supervision. The development of the investigation will largely determine when the case will be referred to trial, while judicial authorities do not rule out filing additional charges if new incriminating evidence emerges from the preliminary examinations currently underway.
