Reversal of the death of the 31-year-old woman in Katsamba by the Court of Appeal – “She was not murdered, her partner shook her”

Upheaval in the case of the death of the 31-year-old woman in a house in Katsamba in November 2019, as the Mixed Court of Appeal of Eastern Crete acquitted her partner of the charge of manslaughter with possible intent and tried him for fatal bodily harm, imposing a sentence reduced by 3 years.

In particular, the Joint Jury accepted the defendant’s claim that he did not punch his girlfriend, which ended up shaking her, something that was also confirmed by the testimony of the Medical Examiner who had signed the forensic report on the death of the 31-year-old.

So the 44-year-old defendant, who is already serving a sentence in prison, was today punished with 10 years for the fatal bodily harm compared to 13 years imposed by the court of first instance for the charge of “manslaughter in a calm state of mind with possible malice”.

The 31-year-old and the 44-year-old, according to the referral will of the trial court, were a couple and both attended rehab programs at times with the admission of drug use.

On the fateful day the 44-year-old claimed he had shaken the girl by grabbing her by the collar after using drugs. The MOD of Heraklion sentenced the 44-year-old in 2021 by a majority of 4-3, imposing a sentence of 13 years without any mitigating circumstances and without parole.

According to the defense attorney of the 44-year-old man, Manolis Christofakakis, the decision of the Court of Appeal essentially vindicates the initial claims of the defendant, who repeated what he had argued in his initial statement that he simply shook his girlfriend, who then expired.

The 44-year-old has been serving a sentence since 2019, while with the beneficial calculation of 3/5 and good behavior it is expected that he will soon be able to submit a request for release from prison.