The Appeals Court sentenced the murderer of Garifallia to life imprisonment.

The Mixed Jury Court of Appeal of the Aegean sentenced the perpetrator of the femicide of Gariyphallia Psarakou to life imprisonment.

The court found the defendant guilty of premeditated murder in a calm state of mind and sentenced him to life imprisonment, rejecting all his claims of reduced responsibility and temporary loss of control.

In an announcement, the office of Alexis Kougias’ associates stated:

“Today, December 11, 2025, a day after the birthday of the late Gariyphallia Psarakou, who would have turned 30, the Mixed Jury Court of Appeal of the Aegean issued its decision regarding her murder. The trial concluded after six sessions, in an intense and emotionally charged atmosphere. It should be noted that Gariyphallia’s parents and siblings were present at every stage of the trial, reliving the indescribable pain of her loss. The Mixed Jury Court of Appeal of the Aegean unanimously:

Found the defendant guilty of premeditated murder in a calm state of mind and sentenced him to the highest penalty, life imprisonment, rejecting all claims of diminished responsibility and temporary emotional disturbance and rejecting all requests for recognition of mitigating circumstances.

It is particularly significant that the Court was not convinced by the defendant’s and his defense’s attempt to present him as someone with a mental illness who did not understand the unjust nature of his heinous act.

Our law office, which has been handling the case since the beginning, continued—after the death of its founder, Alexis Kougias—with particular moral duty and strength in the fight for justice for Gariyphallia’s memory. And today, this fight was vindicated.

The family was represented honorably in court by our associate, Alexis Mavraidis, as the lawyer supporting the accusation.

We express:

Our absolute satisfaction with the issued decision, our respect for the exemplary hearing process, and most of all, our deep admiration for Gariyphallia’s family—her parents and three siblings—who stood with dignity, courage, and grace through a tragic trial no family should ever endure.

Above all, we want to thank Gariyphallia’s family, especially her mother, Alexandra Makou, for the trust she placed in our office and for her daily fight, with dignity, to continue to ensure Gariyphallia’s voice is heard. Her stance, as well as that of the entire family, has been a source of strength in the deepest pain.

Today, justice spoke. Gariyphallia’s memory has been vindicated, and this decision represents a moral victory for her family. As evidenced by the trial, Gariyphallia was an extraordinary soul, a young girl who spread joy and love to everyone around her, with dreams, kindness, and a life ahead of her that she never had the chance to live.

This judicial ruling does not lessen the pain of her parents and siblings, but it is a clear message that society and the judiciary do not tolerate any form of violence against women.

We hope this judicial outcome will be another step toward ending the phenomenon of femicides, which has wounded so many families in our country.”

The perpetrator claimed to have “memory gaps” and cited Paulo Coelho:
“I believe, as Paulo Coelho says in The Alchemist, that the whole universe conspired for this to happen,” the murderer of 26-year-old Gariyphallia Psarakou provocatively stated in court when asked what happened and how the girl ended up in the abyss.

The defendant defended himself in the Court of Appeal of the Aegean in Syros, claiming “memory gaps” and mental illness in the period before the femicide of Gariyphallia Psarakou in July 2021 in Folegandros.

To support his claim of psychiatric episodes, he said that during those days in Folegandros, drones were following them and that he was “boiling inside.” However, after that point, he claimed he couldn’t recall what happened until the murder of Gariyphallia. When the car “went off course,” he said: “I didn’t understand what happened” and “I don’t remember” the reason for the diversion. Immediately after the collision, his memory came back: he remembered Gariyphallia yelling “help” and his attempt to pull her out of the sea and administer first aid. However, he couldn’t recall how Gariyphallia ended up in the sea.

When asked by the prosecutor what he believed happened, and if he thought the girl fell by herself from the cliff, he denied it, stating: “I believe, as Paulo Coelho says in The Alchemist, that the whole universe conspired for this to happen.”

At the same time, he sought to retract his initial confession that he killed her out of anger. He specifically said that he confessed because he was under pressure while detained and would have confessed to anything they asked of him…

The president of the court remarked meaningfully that the defendant remembers everything before and after the murder but nothing about the act itself. In response, the defendant said he couldn’t “bring back” the events, while expressing regret and pain for Gariyphallia’s death.