Authorities continue to seek answers regarding the reasons behind the deaths of the infants who came into contact with 24-year-old Irini in Amaliada. The judicial investigation is ongoing, and the case is unfolding like a thriller, as there is still not a single piece of evidence indicating what exactly happened to the babies.
Current evidence suggests that the children of 24-year-old Irini Mourtzoukou did not have any genetic problems that could have led to their deaths.
Additionally, it has been reported that three of the infants died from interstitial pneumonitis. This term explains that the children could not breathe properly for some reason but does not clarify the underlying cause. As explained to Mega by Professor Konstantinos Douros, a pediatric pulmonologist, “The term is complicated. It is descriptive and does not specify the cause of death. It indicates some damage, but these damages can arise from multiple causes. We do not have the specific cause. It is a preliminary approach until the cause is determined. It’s like saying the cause of death is cardiac arrest, but we need to see what caused that.”
He added, “There could be an underlying pathology, and another reason could be a severe infection affecting the lungs. Another cause could be sudden infant death syndrome. There are infants who fall asleep and never wake up. Anything that can cause suffocation could lead to this. It may result from inhaling any toxic substance or drugs.”
From her side, the spokesperson for the Hellenic Police, Ms. Konstantia Dimoglidu, referred to the case, emphasizing that, based on the available data, there does not appear to be any criminal activity in any of the cases.
“There are five deaths that have attracted media attention. However, I must clarify something. Some of these children either died at home or were transferred to a hospital and subsequently passed away there. For all five cases, the Hellenic Police have properly opened a case file, collecting preliminary investigative material, certifications from attending physicians, provided there was indeed hospitalization of the child, and the child’s health history. Autopsies were conducted on all five children. (…) Therefore, the local prosecutor has the files for all five children. Of course, they can review a case again, meaning a case can be reopened from the archives and further investigative actions can be ordered by the police. So far, nothing of the sort has occurred,” she stated among other things during an interview with ERT.
Finally, the president of the Forensic Society, Mr. Grigoris Leon, commented on the case, describing the children’s deaths as inexplicable. As he stated to ERT News, toxicological and other tests conducted around the time of their deaths were inconclusive.
“We cannot say that there was some pathology for these children, nor any poison or medication administered to them,” Mr. Leon said, noting that when there is no clear cause of death, all data remains open.
“It is not too late for forensic experts to reassess all the data and re-evaluate the findings,” he added, mentioning that this reassessment concerns the histological tests already conducted and not new ones, as a potential exhumation of the bodies would not yield additional information.
