The revelations surrounding the femicide of 39-year-old Vasiliki in Kalamata, who fell dead at the hands of her 41-year-old husband in the early hours of Monday morning, are shocking.
The victim’s sister, speaking to ANT1, revealed that the two women were secretly planning to remove Vasiliki from the house in order to escape the abusive relationship she was experiencing.
“We had made a plan together on how to leave, but I didn’t have time,” she said, adding that lately the 39-year-old had been asking her husband daily to let her leave with their children.
She also claimed that the 41-year-old had used violence on her sister in the past and expressed her anguish over the tragic outcome. She said the couple’s two minor children are now in her care.
At the same time, Greek Police spokeswoman Constantia Demoglidou rejected the 41-year-old’s claims of defence, noting that the findings of the forensic examination clearly show that the victim tried to protect himself.
“The defensive wounds on the body prove that the woman tried to defend herself in the attack. A man who receives so many fatal blows cannot be considered an attacker,” he said.
According to authorities, the body bore multiple injuries and evidence was found at the scene indicating the ferocity of the attack. The case was particularly difficult to handle because of the presence of the two children in the house, who, according to evidence so far, were asleep during the crime and do not appear to have been aware of what happened.
The case has raised strong concerns once again about gender-based violence and the need for early protection for victims of abusive behaviour.
