Greek Police Arrest Three After Stabbing Death of Frozen Infant in Athens

Discovery in Kypseli apartment

Police officers entered a second-floor short-term rental apartment on Thasou Street in the Kypseli district of Athens on Sunday, 30 August 2026. The building manager alerted authorities after the occupants refused to leave, fell behind on rental payments, and exceeded the declared occupancy limit of two individuals. Inside the residence, investigators uncovered the frozen remains of an infant concealed inside a container placed within a suitcase. Officers detained three adults who lived in the unit alongside three minors.

Autopsy findings and conflicting accounts

A forensic medical examination determined that the infant died from homicide caused by sharp force trauma. Medical examiners recorded at least 10 stab wounds to the back that penetrated vital organs, with police analyst Stavros Balaskas noting potential signs of up to 15 wounds inflicted by a serrated knife. The autopsy established that the baby had completed a full 8 to 9 month gestation, had no congenital health defects, and had begun teething, putting the estimated age at death between 6 and 8 months. Forensic examiner Dimitris Galenteris addressed the findings regarding the autopsy.

Forensic science has been called upon to answer several questions. The first and foremost is naturally the cause of death. As it turns out, given that there are wounds from a piercing instrument that have struck vital organs, the cause of death is homicide by a piercing instrument.

The 43-year-old Greek suspect gave shifting statements during police interrogation. He initially claimed the child died of natural causes two years earlier and went unreported because he feared losing custody of the other children. When confronted with the autopsy findings, he claimed the child had been replaced at birth by an outside organization and was possessed. The 38-year-old German woman also offered conflicting narratives, asserting variously that the baby died immediately after birth, that she experienced a miscarriage, or that the birth occurred two years ago. Authorities are examining a photograph posted on social media on 31 December 2021 showing the couple and three children around an infant stroller.

Conditions of the minors

The apartment housed three minors alongside the adults: a pregnant 15-year-old girl and two boys aged 9 and 12. Medical evaluations confirmed that neither boy showed evidence of sexual abuse. However, medical screening revealed that the 15-year-old girl and the 9-year-old boy both tested positive for syphilis and have started medical treatment. Investigators established that the 43-year-old Greek man, the 38-year-old German woman, and the 15-year-old girl were all active drug users. DNA sampling was ordered to determine the biological parentage of all children in the residence, as one of the boys is of African descent and the parentage of the deceased infant remains unverified.

Criminal charges and next steps

On the afternoon of 31 August 2026, prosecutors brought the 43-year-old Greek man, the 38-year-old German woman, and the 26-year-old Afghan national before an investigating magistrate. Authorities identified the Afghan national as the partner of the 15-year-old girl and noted that he was known to police as a narcotics dealer in central Athens. Prosecutors formally filed felony charges of drug trafficking and misdemeanor charges of failing to report the discovery of a deceased person against all three adults. The suspects received a formal deadline to submit their depositions on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, while police conclude the preliminary investigation to finalize murder charges.