In the testimony of the second doctor, from the circle of witnesses of Onassios, the Mixed Jury Court that tries the Rula Pispirigou for the death of her first-born daughter Georgina. There was no lack of tension in the proceedings, as the defendant’s defense returned to the issue of transplants, with Pispirigou’s lawyer, Alexis Kougia, once again attacking intensivist Andreas Iliadis.

Pediatrician-intensivist Giorgos Kourelis, who worked at Onassios where Georgina was transferred in May 2021 from the University Hospital of Patras, testified in court. The doctor reiterated, as did his colleague who testified at the previous hearing, that the little girl did not have a heart problem: “We did not register any arrhythmia on the monitors. The extension of Georgina’s hospitalization was related to an episode of infection,” he said, noting that Georgina stayed at Onasio for less than a month.

The witness testified that the child was referred to Onassios by the Rio hospital for an evaluation of her cardiac function after the arrest she had suffered in Karamandanio, in April 2021, but also because of the history of the deaths of the two other children of the Daskalakis family.

Mr. Kourelis said that during the first days of her hospitalization at Onasio, Georgina suffered an episode of convulsions and developed a fever, which was treated with treatment: “Because the episode was prolonged, treatment was given. He had suffered encephalopathy. The child was generally stable. We did not record any arrhythmia on the monitors. Because she had an episode of infection and that is why her hospitalization was extended. She entered the machine at the beginning of June, was checked, everything was working fine and in 2-3 days she returned to Patras…for the time that Georgina was hospitalized, we had no record of a bradycardia in Georgina”.

When asked by the president if Georgina had a heart problem, the doctor answered in the negative, while he said that the episode of convulsions could be a result of encephalopathy. “Many functions are dysregulated with encephalopathy,” he pointed out.

Chairman: Did you find any wrongdoing in the handling of the doctors who had already dealt with Georgina?
Witness: The child suffered what he suffered, and he had many problems which in order of priority we should put in order.

The witness answered in the negative to a question about whether ketamine was used on Georgina.

In response to Mr. Kougia’s question, Mr. Kourelis emphasized that the episode of convulsions experienced by Georgina during her admission to Onassios was not related to cardiac function.

Alexis Kougias: Why was it introduced?
Witness: For assessment and possible placement of a defibrillator-pacemaker. The reason was a conflict and history with his brothers who had two sudden deaths.
Alexis Kougias: (reads Onassios’ history for the reason for admission “due to a heavy history – he is being treated for defibrillator implantation and genetic testing”). Have you found out what has happened on April 11, 2021, a month ago? How did he come to suffer the opposition? Have you been informed of what came before?
Witness: I can tell you about what happened in Onassios.
Alexis Kougias: I will give you a series of episodes to tell me how you would characterize them. Two episodes have been reported, tremors have been reported, what could be the cause?
Witness: I cannot answer. He should be referred to a neurologist.
Alexis Kougias: They sent it to a neurologist. What should the pediatrician consider next?
Witness: When we talk about convulsions it is purely a neurological issue.
Alexis Kougias: The neurologist examined the child, he found no problem. What’s next?
Witness: The usual thing is to admit the child to the hospital and have an extensive check-up.
Alexis Kougias: Can a pediatrician make a cardiology diagnosis?
Witness: We are sending it to a cardiologist.
Alexis Kougias: What can hypoxia lead to?
Witness: … Even in opposition.
Answering questions from the defense about the approximately 55 minutes that resuscitation lasted in Karamandanio after Georgina’s seizure, the witness stated that the times in terms of the danger of the duration of resuscitation are relative.
Al. Kougias: From what minute is it dangerous and is there a risk of co-morbidity?
Witness: Comorbidity refers to problems before cessation.
Alexis Kougias: At what point does a doctor predict that the child will be quadriplegic?
Witness: Times are relative. Depending on where you are. For times, the general rule is in the 20th minute. We review the situation and say whether it makes sense to continue or the result will not be what it should be. We also inform the parents. CPR is to deliver oxygen to the brain.
Alexis Kougias: The Hellenic Cardiology Society made an announcement. Do you accept her?
Witness: Obviously.
Alexis Kougias: Does the Hellenic Cardiology Society say (on the occasion of the death of a football player) that if it is not treated immediately, 4 minutes, brain damage occurs? Do you agree?
Witness: That is generally accepted. That if the brain goes without oxygen for 2 to 4 minutes it will suffer damage. However the important thing is what it says “if not treated immediately”. Here the doctors intervened immediately.

After this dialogue, Mr. Kougias returned to the issue of transplants, making, despite the president’s reactions, again attacking Mr. Iliadis by referring to the “transplant industry”.

Alexis Kougias: Could this procedure have been done (including the prolonged resuscitation) to brainwash them (including the parents) for organ transplantation?
President: What does this have to do with the case?
Al. Kougias: It has to do with the reliability of doctors. A child is revived after 20 minutes, parents are not informed, the person who revived him takes him by the hand and takes him to Mr. Iliadis, and then the mother has a discussion about organ transplantation…
After all that has been done, do parents have the right to be informed? They are celebrating because they saved a child but he was left a quadriplegic. Are the parents entitled to believe that all this was done to take away his organs?
President: What does all this have to do with it?
Al. Kougias: For the witnesses who are unreliable and unethical like Mr. Iliadis and let him sue me. I want to show unreliability and immorality…do I have to apologize for asking the question every time? There is a transplant industry there. I would inform parents that the child will be a quadriplegic! They had to be told that the child will experience a torture and he never told them. You are protecting them Madam President by what you are doing. This is what Mr. Kourelis said, is the most serious of all, that in 20 minutes a meeting should be held and the parents should be informed.
President: You have said too much. We are not protecting any witnesses. What you were asked to do was to explain what the talk about transplants has to do with the result we had afterwards. It’s in the middle of things. It is between attempted murder and the completed deed.

The trial will continue tomorrow, Thursday.