Murder of Kyriaki Griva

Kyriaki Griva (Greek: Κυριακή Γρίβα; died 1 April 2024) was a Greek woman who was stabbed to death by her former partner outside of a police station in Athens where she had been declined support from duty officers. Her murder sparked protests across Greece calling for legal reforms to recognise femicide, in addition to the police's handling of domestic abuse cases.

Personal life

Griva was the daughter of Thanasis Grivas and Despina Kalea and lived in northern Athens.[1][2] She had been in and on and off relationship with Thanasis Kourelis, who was ten years her senior. They had previously separated in 2020 and Griva had subsequently accused him of rape, resulting in a restraining order being granted.[3] Griva did not pursue the rape charge and police did not progress the matter, despite Greek law making it possible to prosecute rape cases ex officio even without the victim's involvement.[4]

Murder

On 1 April 2024, Griva had met with a friend at a café and noticed Kourelis in the vicinity. She was subsequently accompanied with her friend to visit a local police station in Agioi Anargyroi. Griva reported that Kourelis had been loitering outside of her home; while she declined to make a formal complaint, she requested that a police vehicle transport her home for her own safety. Griva was applied by a duty police officer to contact the police emergency line; some press reports stated that she had been told by the officer that there were no vehicles to transport her despite a car and driver being present at the station at the time. Griva walked outside of the station and made a telephone call to the emergency line, where it was alleged that the operator told her "lady, police cars are not taxis". While the operator was taking details from Griva, Kourelis approached her and stabbed her five times in the back. Griva died before paramedics arrived on the scene.[4][5][6][7]

Aftermath

Kourelis stabbed himself at the scene and was arrested by police officers before being taken to hospital for treatment. It was subsequently reported that he had been admitted onto a psychiatric ward.[3][8] Griva's family reported they learned of her murder on social media and after journalists made contact with them asking for comment.[1]

In the days following the murder, following considerable public outcry, the Hellenic Police partially defended the actions of the officers at Agioi Anargyroi station, stating that the order to deploy a police car could only be made by an officer within the Emergency Response Centre. Local press reported that had officers completed checks on Kourelis as Griva made her report, it would have highlighted that in 2020 reports had been filed against him for violence against police officers as well as drug offences.[6][9] Within days, an update was made to the 2022 incident management guide that aimed at providing high levels of police support to women seeking help for domestic abuse.[10]

Michalis Chrisochoidis, the Minister of Citizen Protection, promised a "full, in-depth" investigation into Griva's death, and publicly supported calls for adding the term "femicide" to the Greek penal code. The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, publicly supported Chrisochoidis, stating the murder was not his fault and that he was trying to change problems "that had been perpetuated for a very long time".[3][6][8] The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, expressed "shock" at the murder, stating it "shakes and angers us", calling on authorities to urgently fight gender-based violence and crime.[3]

In the Hellenic Parliament, the New Left and Syriza introduced legislation that would legally recognise femicide as a crime.[7][11]

Criminal investigations

In January 2025, the Athens First Instance Prosecutor initiated criminal proceedings against four police officers in connection to Griva's murder for the crime of "fatal exposure by omission". A deputy commander was placed on four months' mandatory leave; a duty police officer and security guard on three months' leave; and an immediate response officer was fined €450. Griva's family described the sanctions as "ridiculous punishments".[6][7] The family's lawyer, Eleni Mazaraki, stated that the police had a lack of adequate training concerning domestic abuse, in addition to a general indifference to gender based violence.[6]

In addition, Kourelis was charged with intentional homicide in a calm state of mind; illegally carrying and using weapons; and supplying and possessing drugs.[12] His trial started in June 2025 at Evelpidon Court in Athens. Griva's father described Kourelis' relationship with Griva as being "coercive and exploitative". The prosecution challenged a comment made by the judge querying why Griva "loved [Kourelis] so much" if he was abusive. Kourelis' defence team argued that he had diminished responsibility due to having a history of mental illness, including psychotic depression and suicidal behaviour, and argued that he lacked awareness of his actions during the crime.[4][6]

Protests have occurred outside the court room, with some criticism of Kourelis being charged with homicide, which was felt by women's rights groups to ignore the gendered aspect of the crime and reflective of the Greek legal system's erasure of the gender dynamics that underpin crimes such as murder.[4]

On 29 July 2025, Kourelis was sentenced to life imprisonment for Griva's murder, plus an addition five years. He was also fined 1000 EUR.[13]

Recognition

On the first anniversary of Griva's death on 1 April 2025, a monument was unveiled in her memory outside Agioi Anargyroi police station by Agioi Anargyroi Kamatero Municipal Council.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Spiggou, Sophia (2025-07-02). "Κυριακή Γρίβα: «Εκανα δύο υπέροχες κόρες και έχω μια» – Συγκλονίζει ο πατέρας της 28χρονης". Kathimerini (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2025-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  2. ^ a b "Memorial Unveiled for Kyriaki Griva, Killed Despite Seeking Police Help". Tovima. 2025-04-04. Archived from the original on 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  3. ^ a b c d Kokkinidis, Tasos (2024-04-03). "Greek Police Under Fire After Femicide Outside Athens Precinct". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  4. ^ a b c d Zervou, Iliana (2025-07-03). "Police failures and ignored warnings: the femicide of Kyriaki Griva". The Press Project. Archived from the original on 2025-07-27. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  5. ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (2024-04-02). "New Femicide Shocks Greece: Woman Murdered by Her Ex". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 2025-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Stamatoukou, Eleni (2025-07-07). "In Greece, Murder Trial Highlights Official Failings to Tackle Femicides". Balkan Insight. Archived from the original on 2025-07-14. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  7. ^ a b c ""Police cars are not taxis" officer tells victim moments before she's stabbed outside police station". Keep Talking Greece. 2024-04-03. Archived from the original on 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  8. ^ a b Fallon, Katy (2024-05-10). "A Greek woman feared her ex-partner. He killed her outside a police station". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  9. ^ "Γυναικοκτονία στους Αγίους Αναργύρους: Ο αστυνομικός φρουρός είχε προφυλακιστεί για υπόθεση πλαστογραφίας". News 24/7 (in Greek). 2024-04-02. Archived from the original on 2024-10-06. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  10. ^ "ΕΛΑΣ: Σε ισχύ το νέο πρωτόκολλο για τη διαχείριση της ενδοοικογενειακής βίας - Συντονισμός ενεργειών και μέριμνα για ασφάλεια των θυμάτων". ERT News (in Greek). 2024-04-09. Archived from the original on 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  11. ^ "Πολιτικές αντιδράσεις για τη νέα γυναικοκτονία, επανέρχεται το αίτημα για κατοχύρωση του όρου". Efsyn (in Greek). 2025-03-31. Archived from the original on 2025-01-18. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  12. ^ "Κυριακή Γρίβα". Newsbeast (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  13. ^ Spingou, Sofia (2025-07-29). "Man sentenced to life for fatal stabbing of 28-year-old woman outside Athens police station". Ekathimerini. Archived from the original on 2025-08-02. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
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