Kypseli Horror: Frozen Baby’s Death Investigated as Homicide

The case came to light on Sunday, when police went to an apartment on Thasou Street following a complaint by the property owner. According to reports, concerns had been raised about unpaid rent and suspected drug activity at the property.

Inside the apartment, police found three adults — a 43-year-old Greek man, his 38-year-old German partner and a 26-year-old Afghan man — along with three minors. During the search, officers discovered the body of a baby, believed to have been around eight to nine months old, concealed inside a suitcase and kept in frozen conditions.

What initially appeared to be a deeply disturbing case of concealment became even more serious after the forensic examination. Investigators found more than 10 wounds caused by a sharp object, mainly to the baby’s back, with some of the injuries believed to have been fatal. The findings have led authorities to treat the death as the result of a criminal act.

The forensic evidence also directly challenges claims reportedly made by the 43-year-old man. According to Greek media reports, he told police that the baby had died of natural causes and that he had subsequently placed the body in a freezer because he was afraid that authorities would discover the death and remove his other children from his care.

He also reportedly made an extraordinary claim that the baby had been switched at an Athens maternity hospital and described the child in bizarre terms. These statements are allegations made by the suspect and have not been independently verified. More importantly, they appear to conflict with the forensic evidence indicating that the child suffered multiple stab wounds before death.

One of the most important unanswered questions is therefore who inflicted the injuries and when. The fact that the body had been kept frozen has complicated efforts to establish the precise time of death. Investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death and determine whether more than one person was involved.

The case has also raised serious concerns about the welfare of the three surviving children found in the apartment. Authorities are examining their circumstances and are seeking information about whether they had previously come to the attention of social services or prosecutors. The children are being assessed by child psychologists and psychiatrists, with investigators hoping their accounts may provide crucial information about both the baby’s death and the conditions in which they had been living.

Police also reportedly seized drugs, surveillance cameras, computers and other items from the apartment. The presence of the children and reports of unusual activity around the property have prompted authorities to investigate whether there may have been other offences involving the minors.

The three adults have so far been formally charged with felony-level drug trafficking and the misdemeanor offence of failing to report the discovery of a dead person. They appeared before an investigating magistrate and were given additional time to prepare their statements. They are due to return to court on Wednesday, September 2, when they are expected to give their formal statements.

Importantly, the three have not yet been formally charged with the baby’s killing. The investigation into the death is continuing, and authorities are expected to determine whether additional charges should be brought once the evidence has been fully evaluated.

DNA testing is also expected to play an important role. Authorities are seeking to establish the biological relationships between the dead infant and the surviving children, as well as clarify the identity and family circumstances of the baby.

For now, the central mystery remains unresolved. The forensic evidence has established that the infant’s death was violent, but investigators have yet to establish who was responsible, the exact circumstances of the killing and why the body was concealed and kept frozen.

As the three suspects prepare to appear before the investigating magistrate, the investigation is expected to focus increasingly on the evidence surrounding the baby’s death. The forensic findings, witness statements, digital evidence and testimony from the children could ultimately determine whether the current charges are expanded to include homicide or infanticide.