Hundreds of mass-produced, pre-signed, and stamped certificates that listed the cause of death and only required filling in the deceased’s information are among the 4,000 forensic case files issued over the past five years (2000–2005) by the Patras Forensic Service, which labeled deaths as from “natural causes.”

Sources from the Ministry of Justice speak of a long-standing network within the Patras Forensic Service operating unchecked for at least 30 years, with findings that surpass fiction, erasing all traces of humanity and respect for the deceased body.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Justice, accompanied by police, conducted a surprise raid at the Patras Forensic Service to transfer all forensic reports issued from January 1, 2020, to the present—covering both living and deceased individuals.

Previously, the Patras Forensic Service had been suspended by decision of the Minister of Justice, Giorgos Floridis. A few days later, Patras medical examiner Andreas Gkotsis and the head of the Service’s secretariat, Stavros Arvanitakis, were suspended from duty.

Forensic Service of Patras – They wrote “meningitis” for death caused by injuries
What Justice Ministry officials encountered
As of Monday, the Patras Forensic Service is operational again with two new forensic doctors. Still, the prevailing atmosphere is telling: as soon as the reopening was announced, the mortuary technician—essential for forensic procedures—took a one-month leave to prevent the Service from functioning. The Ministry acted swiftly, transferring a mortuary technician from another region to Patras.

Files
Each of the 4,000 seized files will be examined by the Ministry of Justice’s General Directorate of Forensics to verify whether the causes of death recorded as “natural” in the certificates actually were.

So far, the findings from reviewing these files are shocking. Moreover, many gaps and omissions raise serious questions about how the certificates were written and on what basis they were issued.

In many cases, basic autopsy and postmortem details are missing. All findings should be documented and photographed, yet photos are scarce or nonexistent.

Autopsy reports must include physical characteristics (height, hair/eye color, presence of limbs, etc.) and all visible injuries, from minor abrasions to major wounds (like lacerations and bruises). Histological tests should also be present where necessary.

If key elements justifying the actual cause of death are missing or the reports are lacking, the General Directorate of Forensics will request prosecutorial assistance to reconstruct the incomplete files using records and legal documents from the courts to confirm whether the stated causes of death match the facts.

Extreme cases
During the surprise raid by Justice Ministry officials, over 100 forensic reports were found and confiscated that were already filled out—pre-signed and stamped—with the cause of death listed. The only blank was the name of the deceased.

One of the most egregious new cases discovered among the 4,000 files involves a man with fractures to the skull, ribs, and other parts of the body. Nevertheless, his forensic report listed “meningitis” as the cause of death.

The case of Eirini Lagoudi is also under review. She was found dead in her car in January 2018. Her family has demanded the case be reopened, arguing that the 44-year-old mother of three did not commit suicide but was murdered. The Patras Forensic Service had concluded the cause was suicide by inhalation of fumes from a fire she allegedly started herself.

The abused girl
According to her family, “a forensic doctor never visited the crime scene to inspect it. No on-site investigation was done. They simply sent the body for autopsy.”

Another focus of the General Directorate is the tragic suicide of a 15-year-old girl in Corfu in 2019, after sexual abuse. The abused girl had been taken to Rio hospital, where the attending doctor confirmed abuse. Prosecutors ordered a forensic exam. The report stated no abuse occurred. The minor was discharged from the child psychiatric unit and returned to Corfu, where she later committed suicide. However, the autopsy revealed clear signs of sexual abuse.