With tension and lawsuits from the side of Roula Pispirigou against the psychologist, forensic expert, and the investigator who handled the case of Georgina’s death, the last session of the Joint Jury closed before the summer vacation.

Tones rose as the accused’s defense cross-examined her today psychologist Despina Savvoglou appointed by investigator Christina Salapa for the interpretation of Georgina’s paintingsbut also the two doctors of the University Hospital of Patras who testified that they had been troubled by the child’s seizures and had suspected the mother.

The defendant’s defense attorney, Alexis Kougias, at the beginning of the session, examined Mrs. Savvoglou, who had testified in a previous session, questioning the expert opinion she handed over to the investigator and claiming that illegally, the forensic expert held sessions “with adults”, meaning Georgina’s two parents and other persons, “while she is a child psychotherapist”.

At the same time, the advocate announced to Mrs. Savvoglou that he would submit 2 lawsuits for perjury but also for illegal recording and use of a personal data file as the witness mentioned that she had recorded on her computer the sessions she had as part of her mandate, with Manos Daskalakis and Roula Pispirigou.

Alexis Kougias: Have you been asked to review paintings again?
Witness: Yes, I have been asked for a sexual abuse case.
Alexis Kougias: Have you ever heard your colleague agree to evaluate the mental world of a child who is not alive, through four drawings? Can you tell me why you had sessions with Mr. Daskalakis and the accused after you were instructed to evaluate the paintings?
Witness: That is what the protocol dictates.
Alexis Kougias: The accused lady says that you met her twice and she laughed and got indignant with what you asked her.
Witness: He assured me that I would tell the truth.
Alexis Kougias: Where did you get the order to gossip about the personal matters of Mr. Daskalakis and the accused?
Witness: The order was to rule on the mental bond of the child with the parents and on anything related. I sent a document to the investigator Mrs. Salapa and said that with the 4 drawings we could not have safe conclusions and that sessions with the parents would be needed. I asked to be informed about the school contexts. This was accepted by the investigator. I had informed her about all the meetings and she gave me the phone numbers.
Alexis Kougias: At this point I am suing Mrs. Savvoglou and Mrs. Salapa. The witness alone determined the meetings with the parents. The defendant was never served with a document about these meetings. She carried out an expert opinion on adults while she is a psychotherapist for children and adolescents. That the minutes be forwarded to the prosecution and that Ms. Salapa and the witness be prosecuted for this illegal expert opinion.

Mr. Kougias then examined the pediatric neurologist in Rio Polixeni Pelekouda to whom he had earlier also sent an outpatient report. Mrs. Pelekouda clarified that she never testified in court about “true epileptic episodes in the child”.

Alexis Kougias: Did you state here that you contacted YDEZI? (Directorate against Crimes against Life and Property).
Witness: Yes, of my own accord. I testified that I contacted on 13.2. 2022 with YDEZI and I said that there is a video of the mother with an episode and that I suspect specific substances.
Alexis Kougias: You said that the episodes were not typically epileptic, but “I cannot rule out that they were epileptic”.
Witness: Yes, but I added that after the 24-hour EEG the possibility of seizures was ruled out with great scientific accuracy.
Alexis Kougias: You testified that “a deep investigation is needed to find out who caused these episodes.” Where should he look? In what field of medicine?
Witness: It doesn’t have to be from the medical field, it can be from the criminal field.
Alexis Kougias: Where? Can anyone read all of this on the internet? That is, to read how and with what substances can cause these paroxysmal episodes?
Witness: Since I have not attempted to cause physical harm to anyone, I have not read. But I assure you it can.
Alexis Kougias: Since you suspected that the incidents were caused by the mother, shouldn’t you have informed the prosecutor?
Witness: I did my best to protect the child, to go to the ICU and to inform my colleagues in Athens.
Alexis Kougias: Do you know how the mother’s behavior was when she took the child home?
Witness: He was an extremely well cared for child.
Alexis Kougias: In which part of the world is there such abuse of a child in a scientific way?
Witness: First in America and then in Europe. I reserve the right to provide bibliography.
Kougias: In one of the episodes in the video, the mother is seen putting the oxygen mask on the child? Could the episode be stopped if the mother put on the mask?
Witness: It could be solved automatically, it could continue. I have marked it as dangerous. To protect the child, I would like him to be in the ICU.

During his examination by the defense of the accused, the pediatrician in Rio Aris Berzouanis repeated that the doctors at the clinic had discussed the possibility that the episodes displayed by Georgina “be a result of her mother’s abusive behavior” as he mentioned. To Mr. Kouya’s question if, since they had these suspicions, they had an obligation to inform the prosecutor, the doctor said: “When we have episodes that we cannot explain, we suspect many things. Among others, this possibility. If we have serious suspicions, we inform, as we have done many times. At that time this possibility was low in the differential diagnosis. There was a lot of wonder and no one could explain how the child only had episodes in the clinic and not in the ICU.”

The trial will continue on September 6.