Femicide in Igoumenitsa: Anger and grief at the final farewell to the 25-year-old

Family members, relatives and friends are bidding farewell to the 25-year-old biologist who was murdered by her former partner in Igoumenitsa.

The funeral service is being held at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Metamorfosi, Attica, while the burial will take place at Metamorfosi Cemetery.

The 25-year-old’s family has asked that, instead of wreaths, donations be made to the Diotima Centre, which supports abused women.

The young woman was the 10th victim of femicide in 2026. She had separated from her former partner about a month earlier.

She was found dead on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at a shelter along a cycling path in Igoumenitsa.

After the 25-year-old suspect allegedly tried unsuccessfully to stage the scene as an attack by masked assailants, and following a series of contradictions in his statements as well as what appeared to be a botched attempt to injure or kill himself, officers from the Igoumenitsa Security Police secured a confession from him.

The 25-year-old suffered 14 stab wounds – She tried to defend herself

The findings of the post-mortem examination carried out by forensic pathologist Giannis Aivatidis have caused shock.

According to reports, the forensic examination found 14 stab wounds, inflicted with a folding knife.

Seven of the wounds were to her back, with several striking vital organs, including the lungs, liver and spleen. The most fatal injuries were those to her neck.

Wounds were also found on her legs, while defensive injuries on her hands indicated that she had tried to protect herself from the repeated blows. The pattern of injuries also points to the ferocity of the attack.

Suspect’s claims raise doubts

During questioning, the suspect eventually admitted that he had killed her. However, he claimed that they had met at the shelter along the cycle path over an alleged €2,000 debt between them and that he stabbed her following a heated argument.

Police, however, remain skeptical of this account. The suspect, who lived in Aigaleo and used to visit the woman’s home while they were together, appears to have travelled specifically for the meeting and had brought a folding knife with him.

His determination to meet her is also reflected in the fact that he travelled to the area the day before the killing and spent the night on a bench.

Suspect’s criminal record

The suspect had previously come to the attention of the authorities in 2012 for taking part in clashes outside Parliament and had been accused of violence against public officials and injuring a riot police officer. In 2016, he was arrested for theft in Aigaleo, while in 2022 he was arrested in Omonia for possession of fireworks.

Police were first called to the scene by a passer-by who saw the young woman’s lifeless, blood-covered body at the shelter along the cycle path. Shortly afterwards, the suspect himself also called the authorities, claiming that they had been attacked by unknown assailants.

He was found in dense vegetation some distance from the victim, with injuries to his chest, one of them deep. He was taken to Igoumenitsa Hospital, where he remains under police guard.

The suspect also admitted that he had thrown the murder weapon away at a location shortly after leaving the shelter. Police later recovered it and sent it to forensic laboratories for examination.

However, his mobile phone was not found in his possession and investigators believe he may have discarded it. Only the victim’s mobile phone was recovered, and it too has been sent to forensic laboratories for analysis.

The Thesprotia prosecutor visited the suspect at the hospital and charged him with homicide. He was granted additional time to prepare his defense and is due to appear before an investigating magistrate on Thursday.