Trial for Zak Costopoulos: The testimony of the medical examiner is important

Ioanna Mandrou

Proving that the trial for the death of Zak Costopoulos that shocked the public, that it is a trial of medical examiners, the testimony of the medical examiner Nikolaos Kalogrias monopolized today the day of the trial of the case before the Mixed Jury Court of Athens.

Speaking based on the findings of the forensic report, the medical examiner insisted that the death of 33-year-old Costopoulos was caused by an ischemic episode that was the result of stress caused by the severe beatings he received from the defendants.

Mr. Kalogrias clarified that the victim had no other pathological cause that caused the ischemic attack, but despite the pressure he received from the defense of the accused, which of the blows he received caused his death, he did not answer, as he stressed that something such “will arise from the hearing”.

To this end, the court showed the witness the well-known video, where the unfortunate Zak Costopoulos receives severe blows from the owner of the jewelry store, to which he had entered, “for an unknown reason”, as reported by the referral committee.

The also accused broker in the profession who came to the store also took part in the beatings against the 33-year-old.

“These incidents are few,” the witness said, “but it does not mean that they do not exist.” “Injuries may not be fatal and may not have caused death on their own, but their multiplicity, given the absence of another health problem, leads to the conclusion that correlation ischemia is a consequence of trauma.”

And medical examiner Nik. Kalogrias added to support his position on the death of Zak Costopoulos.

“He was tested toxicologically, his heart condition was also checked. We can safely say that he has no other reason that has to do with pulmonary edema.

I had not seen any pathology to justify pulmonary edema.

The injuries were what led there. I’m not saying how the injuries came about. “

However, the witness could not clarify which of the beatings led to the ischemic attack and the death of Zak Costopoulos, leaving in court the essential judgment for the guilt of each of the accused.

The defendants in the trial are the owner of the jewelry store, which was entered by Zak Costopoulos, his neighbor the broker in the profession and four police officers who hurried to arrest the victim who was already covered in blood.

“We can not judge, stressed Mr. Kalogrias, which injuries were more or less involved in triggering the stress mechanism. “All we can say is that if it is a head injury, then the mechanism is more likely to be triggered, because it is a sensitive part of the body,” he explained, among other things.

The witness during his examination by the defense, was called to see audiovisual material from the moment of the violent attack that Zak Costopoulos received in the jewelry store.

However, as he himself pointed out, he can not express an opinion because he is not an eyewitness, insisting that “all the wounds contributed to the death and there is no way to rate only the part of the body”, while later he added, “no I will say who caused the injury. That is what the hearing will decide. “

The examination of the witness has been completed and the trial continues on Tuesday, November 26.