Shock and revulsion have followed the discovery of an eight-month-old baby frozen inside a suitcase in Kypseli, Athens, as new forensic findings raise further questions about the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
A forensic examination found multiple stab wounds on the baby’s body. Reports indicate at least 10 knife wounds, while police analyst Stavros Balaskas told MEGA that the child may have suffered as many as 15 blows from a serrated kitchen knife.
Authorities have received the forensic findings and have taken further steps to investigate the case.
Suspect allegedly claimed baby was a “devil”
The alleged perpetrator has also attracted attention because of statements reportedly made during questioning.
Balaskas described the 43-year-old suspect as highly dangerous and raised serious concerns about the possible abuse of the couple’s other children. Authorities and the courts must still verify those claims through their investigation.
According to reports, the suspect allegedly claimed that the baby was a “devil” and “possessed”.
The 43-year-old reportedly told investigators that the eight-month-old cried constantly and that his partner was struggling emotionally. He also allegedly claimed that hospital staff had switched their baby at birth and given them another child, whom he described as “possessed”.
The suspect reportedly said the baby had cried continuously and that his wife had been emotionally unwell. He allegedly claimed that they had received a different baby at the maternity hospital and that “once the baby died, our home became calm”.
Authorities have yet to establish the accuracy of those claims.
Meanwhile, accounts from local residents have raised further questions about the children’s mother and her possible role in the case.
Forensic examination raises further questions
Forensic pathologist Dimitris Galenteris told Live News that the examination must answer several questions, most importantly the cause of death.
He said injuries caused by a sharp instrument that damage vital organs point to homicide involving a sharp weapon.
Determining the precise time of death, however, presents greater difficulties. The baby’s placement in a refrigerated environment preserved the wounds and allowed forensic experts to examine the cause and mechanism of death in detail, but it did not allow them to establish the exact time of death.
Galenteris also commented on sexually transmitted infections reportedly identified in the couple’s other children. He noted that such findings can raise concerns about sexual abuse, although investigators must establish the circumstances in each individual case.
Items found in the couple’s luggage
Police found seven sex toys, a black mask, a camera, a computer and a storage device among the couple’s belongings.
Investigators found the dead baby inside a second, pink suitcase. The child was wrapped in a red thermal bag and kept in a frozen state.
A garbage bag and packaging containing a red substance, believed to be blood, were found over the thermal bag.
Police also discovered a small digging tool, a small shovel, a blue blanket and a sex toy inside the suitcase.
The presence of the digging tools has raised the possibility that someone intended to transport and bury the baby’s body. Investigators have not established that this was the purpose of the items.
Drugs and suspected trafficking activity
Police also found a black pouch in the 43-year-old man’s possession containing three mobile phones, nylon packages with large quantities of suspected drugs, precision scales and small nylon bags used to separate substances.
The findings have led investigators to examine the possibility that the drugs were intended for distribution rather than solely for personal use.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities examine the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death, the treatment of the other children and the wider activities of the adults involved.
