The trial for the femicide of Kyriaki Griva continued at the Mixed Jury Court with testimonies from three police officers. The 28-year-old victim had sought help from the Agioi Anargyroi Police Station shortly before losing her life to her former partner. The testimonies revealed contradictions and raised serious questions about how authorities handled the incident.
The first witness called was the young duty police officer, who initially stated she wished to exercise her right to silence, as she faces charges of fatal exposure through negligence. However, the court rejected her request, ruling that she had not been officially referred to trial.
“She requested a patrol car”
The witness claimed that Kyriaki Griva mentioned she feared her former partner would be waiting outside her home and requested a patrol car to escort her. According to her testimony, she tried to extract more information, but the victim refused to file a complaint and left saying she would call for a patrol car herself. “She told me she had been a rape victim and had filed a complaint, but she didn’t request registration of a new incident. I advised her to wait at the station,” she testified. She also noted that just minutes later she heard voices shouting: “They’re killing her, they’re killing her.”
The supervising officer, who testified next, claimed she was never informed about the 28-year-old’s presence at the station. She said she was in her office at the time, preparing to leave, and when she heard the voices, she rushed to the scene and found the victim bloodied. “I had no knowledge of what she was asking for. If I had known, I would have intervened differently,” she emphasized, while admitting that her weapon was in the office.
Responding to questions from the prosecution, she stated she had no information about the details of the previous complaint filed by Kyriaki Griva and denied hearing any dialogue between the duty officer and the victim. She repeatedly stressed that she “had no knowledge.”
The guard’s testimony
The testimony of the third police officer, who was serving as guard, also raised questions about the authorities’ response. The former officer stated that Griva and her friend arrived at the station around 10 PM and asked to see the duty officer. He said they didn’t mention any immediate danger or specific perpetrator and he directed them to the first floor.
Shortly after, he saw them leaving and assumed they “had worked things out.” According to his testimony, within seconds he heard commotion and realized the woman was under attack. “I saw him pull a knife from her back. Everything happened very quickly,” he said characteristically. When asked why he didn’t use his service weapon or handcuff the perpetrator, he replied that the accused was already bloodied and collapsing, so he didn’t consider there was further threat.
This testimony provoked a strong reaction from the prosecution lawyers, who accused him of inaction. He insisted he reacted “immediately, as much as he could,” and that he approached Kyriaki Griva’s father to express his condolences.
The trial continues with examination of other witnesses, while the murdered woman’s family demands accountability for the delays and handling by police officers, which they consider crucial to the tragic outcome.
