The trial of Eirini Mourtzoukou for defamation was postponed for the second time today by the Athens Single-Member Misdemeanor Court.

The trial was rescheduled for February 12, 2025, under Article 352 of the Criminal Procedure Code, to allow the complainant, who was also absent today, to testify.

Neither Mourtzoukou nor the 24-year-old woman at the center of an investigation into infant deaths in Amaliada appeared in court today.

Mourtzoukou is facing charges of publicly committed defamation, a misdemeanor, following a complaint from a man in her close circle. This man was allegedly identified by the 24-year-old as the father of her two children, whom she claimed were conceived through rape. The man denied these allegations and filed a defamation suit against her.

Mourtzoukou, meanwhile, was arrested under the flagrante delicto procedure when she visited a police station to file her own complaint against a journalist.

In court today, both sides indicated an attempt at an out-of-court settlement. Lawyer Tasos Dougas, representing the complainant, stated, “Ms. Mourtzoukou has publicly apologized. We request a postponement to allow the investigation into the infant deaths to proceed.”

The defense agreed to the postponement.

At the trial’s initial hearing, the 24-year-old requested the presence of the complainant, seeking his consent for a paternity test to substantiate or refute her claims. Mourtzoukou’s lawyer, Voula Dimitriadou, argued, “As this is a defamation case, the truth must be established. We request the complainant’s appearance to consent to a DNA test, proving whether the defendant’s claim is false. We also need his testimony.”