Elena Papadopoulou lived a nightmare at the hands of her son before her murder

Eighty-seven-year-old Elena Papadopoulou, the wife of a former minister who has also passed away, had been living a true nightmare at the hands of her own son—now remanded in custody for her murder.

The elderly woman was found dead after a fire broke out in her home in the Kolonaki district on January 29, 2022. The investigation into the causes of the fire and the victim’s death was initially undertaken by the Fire Service.

Despite the defendant’s claims that a cigarette may have fallen from her hands onto the sofa, the toxicology report—which took a considerable time to be completed and was submitted to the Fire Service’s investigative authorities—pointed to the presence of medication in her system. At the same time, the forensic pathologist made it clear that death had preceded the fire.

The case file was handed over to the public prosecutor and, after a further delay, forwarded to the Homicide Department, which then investigated the case as a possible criminal act with financial motives. According to investigators, the son was determined to sell his mother’s apartment for a large sum of money, something she strongly opposed.

Contradictions and phone conversations

According to neighbors who testified to the authorities, the woman lived in constant torment at the hands of her son, who would lock her inside the house, shout at her continuously, and verbally abuse her. Notably, neighbors had to call the Fire Service four times in the past to gain access to her apartment because she had fallen and was unable to get up, and no one could enter to help her.
The son was also implicated by his phone conversations. After the lifting of phone confidentiality, it emerged that his partner had urged him in their discussions to leave the country if the authorities approached him. He himself told his lawyer that he did not want to leave the house so as not to be accused of attempting to tamper with evidence.

In his statements, the 60-year-old contradicted himself. He told the Fire Service that he had visited his mother’s home earlier that morning, while he later told the police that he had not gone there at all.
The man—who had previously come to the attention of the authorities for theft, drug-related offenses, and fraud—was effectively selling off household items to make money and ultimately sought to sell the very apartment in which his mother was living.

According to information, in his will the father had named his wife as the sole heir, precisely because he was aware of their son’s behavior. The son did not attend either his father’s or his mother’s funeral.
According to the Fire Service’s report, the fire started on the sofa using an accelerant. That is, as investigators conclude, he poured a flammable liquid on the sofa—where his mother’s body was already lying lifeless—and then set it on fire.