The 46-year-old psychiatric patient who brutally murdered a 44-year-old woman at Dafni Psychiatric Hospital has been arrested.
The suspect, who had escaped following the attack, was found on Athens Avenue by DIAS motorcycle police after citizens alerted authorities. This shocking development comes amid growing concerns over security failures in Greece’s psychiatric institutions—especially given the fact that the same man had previously killed another patient in 2023.
The deadly incident unfolded in the early hours of February 19, 2025. According to an official statement from the 2nd Health Region, the attacker—who had been hospitalised under a court order—used broken glass to fatally wound a 44-year-old female patient. Despite desperate efforts by hospital staff to save her, she succumbed to her injuries. The man then managed to escape from the facility, prompting an urgent police search.
The Shocking Revelation: He Had Killed Before
New details have emerged about the suspect’s disturbing past. Michalis Giannakos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (PODEN), confirmed that this was not his first murder. In 2023, while hospitalised at Corfu Psychiatric Hospital, he had killed a 65-year-old woman in an especially gruesome manner—gouging out her eyes with a pen and wooden cutlery before stabbing her multiple times.
Despite this history, he remained in psychiatric care rather than being transferred to a high-security facility, raising serious questions about patient management and institutional oversight.
The suspect’s sister, speaking to Star TV, expressed shock and confusion. “He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. We don’t know anything—where he is, nothing. We were called this morning and informed about the incident.”
Investigation Underway
Following his arrest, authorities have launched an Emergency Administrative Inquiry to determine how such a dangerous individual was able to attack another patient and then escape. Hospital security protocols are now under intense scrutiny, as public outrage grows over how a known killer was left in a position to strike again.
This case has reignited debate over the handling of violent psychiatric patients in Greece, with calls for stricter security measures and better institutional safeguards to prevent further tragedies.
(Source: To Vima)