Saturday––Jeff
Hello to all from the rock & roll capital of northwest New Jersey. Yep, our farm got a taste of what Californians and Athenians take in stride as somewhat regular occurrences--earthquakes and aftershocks. Blessedly, ours were relatively small and no one was injured (4.7 in the morning and 4.0 in the evening).
I will not be posting about any of that, but I will be indirectly following up on Caro’s blog yesterday about Scotland’s new hate speech law “supposed to shore up offences that are aggravated by prejudice” but notably leaves out the misogynistic abuse of women from its protections.
If you recall, I’ve posted before about the May 2021 murder in Athens of a young wife and mother, Caroline Crouch (age 20), by her pilot/flight instructor husband, Babis Anagnostopoulos (age 32). The husband had concocted an elaborate story centered upon home invaders, not he, as responsible for his wife’s murder. The murder rocked Greece to its core, and its solution earned deservedly great praise for the police plus a flood of demands for ending Greece’s proliferating domestic violence against women.
Now, there’s been a new femicide in Athens committed by her former domestic partner. It, too, has captivated the nation and galvanized a call for meaningful protections for woman from domestic violence.
This time, though, there is no praise for the police. Only condemnation.
 |
| Kyriaki Griva |
On Monday, a 28-year-old woman, Kyriaki Griva, presented herself at a police station in north central Athens pleading for protection from her 39-year-old ex-partner. She claimed he’d once been the subject of a protective order, had a long history of stalking her, abusing her (including rape), and now was waiting outside her home. She asked for a patrol car to take her home, but because she refused to file a complaint, the duty officer told her that she had to call the police emergency line (100) to send a vehicle.
When she called that line and explained why she wanted a police escort, the emergency dispatch officer said to her, “The police car is not a taxi.”
She had spent eight minutes in the police station pleading for help denied her (in violation of procedures). When she stepped out of the station, her ex-partner was waiting for her. He attacked her with a knife—caught on video––and she died as police stood around trying to decide what had happened.
Her killer did not flee and now is in a prison psychiatric ward awaiting trial, claiming he has “no memory of the crime.”
Six police officers, including the chief of the station, have been suspended, the emergency dispatch officer is under investigation for potential criminal charges, and the head of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, promises “the truth will be completely revealed.”
Kyriaki Griva was buried on Thursday.
May her memory be a blessing for eternity, and a CALL TO ACTION for domestic violence to be addressed in concrete legislative ways and meaningful diligence on the part of police when asked to intervene.
––Jeff
Jeff’s Upcoming Events
CrimeFest, Bristol UK
Panel THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2024 @ 17.00
“Overstepping the Mark: Abuses of Privilege and Power” with
Ajay Chowdhury, Alex North, Kate Ellis, Jeffrey Siger, Sam Holland (Moderator)
Panel FRIDAY, 10 MAY 10 @ 17:10
“What a
Thrill: Page-Turners and Cliff Hangers” with
Chris Curran, Antony Dunford, Charles Harris, Christine Poulson, Jeffrey Siger
(Moderator)
Posts
Unfortunately, these stories are much more common than the ones that make the newspapers. Amazingly, the police seem to find them hard to believe!
ReplyDeleteWorse still, Michael, as a world we seem to be regressing. Do you think it's fair to say, "autocracy breeds misogyny?"
Deleteso sad, but yes it is too common
ReplyDeleteAnd as I wrote to Michael, Dru, it seems to be getting worse.
Delete"...he'd ONCE been the subject of a protective order..." I don't understand why protective orders would have an "end date." It seems, if there's a need for one, it should be permanent, until or unless the protectee ASKS for it to be ended.
ReplyDeleteWhile there are plenty of good, decent police officers, it seems to me that the nature of the job attracts too many who like the sense of power, of being "above the citizenry," and that mindset is fostered and encouraged, rather than the concepts of being SERVANTS to the citizenry. The latter is what is stated, but the former, all too often, is the reality. As in all other things, power must be balanced with responsibilities (yes, I know, I sound like a comic book character, but it's a truism nonetheless).
No, EvKa, it doesn't sound comic bookish at all. It sounds like what the "social compact" between the governing and the govern is all about...or rather was all about.
DeleteThe police are complicit in this murder.
ReplyDeleteThe poor woman. This is horrible.
ReplyDelete