Roula Pispirigou (Greek: Ρούλα Πισπιρίγκου; born 1988 or 1989) is a Greek convicted murderer and suspected serial killer. Accused of killing her three daughters in Patras, she was arrested and remanded in custody for the premeditated murder of her eldest one Georgina Daskalaki, after administering ketamine.[1] The murder case has also attracted international attention.[2][3]

Roula Pispirigou
Born1988 or 1989 (age 35–36)
Greece
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
Victims1–3
Span of crimes
2019–2021
CountryGreece
Date apprehended
30 March 2022

In March 2024, Pispirigou was sentenced to life imprisonment by a jury in Athens, who unanimously found her guilty of murdering her first-born daughter, Georgina.[4]

Murders edit

On 13 April 2019, 3.5-year-old Malena Daskalaki died at the Children's Hospital while she was admitted with leukemia at an early stage and with the doctors considering the condition completely curable. A few days later, her sister, Georgina Daskalaki, was admitted for the first time. On 21 March 2021, their sister Irida Daskalaki was found dead in her crib with a bloody cloth on top of her. In July 2021, the forensic report was completed and sent by medical examiner Angeliki Tsiola. A genetic test followed, which was completed on 30 March 2022, with a negative result for the existence of a genetic problem.[5]

On 11 April 2021, Georgina Daskalaki was admitted to Karamandanio Hospital in Patras. She underwent CPR for over 50 minutes and recovered; however she had suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.[6] On 29 January 2022, the quadriplegic Georgina died in the hospital in Rio.[7] On 9 February, the Patras prosecutor's office ordered a preliminary investigation into the three girls.[8] On 30 March, an arrest warrant was issued for Pispirigou, who apologized to an investigator in Athens on 4 April. With the concurrence of the investigator and the prosecutor, she was remanded in custody and taken to Korydallos Prison.[9]

Conviction edit

In July 2022, Pispirigou was charged with serial murder of all three of her children. She pleaded not guilty, while her lawyer, Alexis Kougias, claimed that "it is the biggest judicial scandal since I have been a lawyer".[10] Pispirigou's innocence was defended by her mother, her sister and stepfather.[11][12]

Finally, on 29 March 2024, Pispirigou was sentenced to life imprisonment by a mixed jury in Athens, which unanimously found her guilty of murdering her first-born daughter, Georgina. The court adopted the prosecutor's proposal to impose a life sentence.[4][13]

References edit

  1. ^ "Συνελήφθη η Ρούλα Πισπιρίγκου για τον θάνατο της Τζωρτζίνας – Έφτασε στη ΓΑΔΑ". Το Βήμα. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. ^ Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Sandra Maler (30 March 2022). "Greek police arrest mother, charged with killing young daughter". Reuters. Retrieved 12 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Greek woman accused of killing her daughter given extra protection amid fear of attack". Sky News. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Καρέ καρέ η αποχώρηση της Ρούλας Πισπιρίγκου από το δικαστήριο – Με απόλυτη ψυχραιμία άκουσε τα ισόβια από τους δικαστές". Newsbeast (in Greek). 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  5. ^ "Θάνατος Ίριδας: Το ματωμένο πανάκι, η κατάθεση της αδερφή της Πισπιρίγκου και ο γονιδιακός έλεγχος". CNN Greece. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  6. ^ Ευλαμπία Ρέβη (1 April 2022). "Πάτρα: Πώς φτάσαμε στη σύλληψη της Ρούλας Πισπιρίγκου - Γιατί δεν ελήφθησαν καταθέσεις από την οικογένεια". Έθνος. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Θάνατος τριών παιδιών στην Πάτρα: Πέντε απόπειρες δολοφονίας της Τζωρτζίνας μέσα σε 13 ώρες μία ημέρα πριν πεθάνει". Πρώτο Θέμα. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  8. ^ Η-Β Παπαϊωάννου (30 March 2022). "Το χρονικό των θανάτων των τριών κοριτσιών στην Πάτρα – Πώς έφτασε το Ανθρωποκτονιών στη διαλεύκανση της υπόθεσης της Τζωρτζίνας". ΕΡΤ NEWS. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Ρούλα Πισπιρίγκου: Προφυλακιστέα για τον φόνο της Τζωρτζίνας - Ξέσπασε σε κλάματα, λέει ο δικηγόρος της". Πρώτο Θέμα. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  10. ^ ""Η Πισπιρίγκου είναι αθώα - Τα παιδάκια είχαν ημερομηνία λήξεως"". Epoli.gr. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  11. ^ ""Η κόρη μου είναι αθώα, δεν θα σκότωνε ποτέ τα παιδιά της" κατέθεσε η μητέρα της Ρούλας Πισπιρίγκου". athensvoice.gr. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Αδερφή Ρούλας Πισπιρίγκου: "Τη στηρίζω μέχρι τελικής πτώσεως - Είναι αθώα, είναι μάνα υπόδειγμα"". iefimerida.gr. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  13. ^ Ζαχαροπούλου, Μαρία (2024-03-29). "Ισόβια στη Ρούλα Πισπιρίγκου για τον θάνατο της 9χρονης Τζωρτζίνας – Η αντίδρασή της στο άκουσμα της απόφασης". Newsbeast (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-03-29.