With incredible courage and surrounded by her layers and her family, the victim of the vitriol attack, Ioanna Paliospyroy, appeared to court where the trial against the attacker was finally launched.
37-year-oldvictim Ioanna was wearing a special protection mask on her face, gloves and a hat and it was the first time after the horrible attack in May 2020 that she appeared in public.
The crowd that had gathered to her support outside the court cheered “Bravo!” and “Hero!”
In her first statement after the court, the victim said about 36-year-old attacker, Efi, “once again, the one who tried to kill me proved how cold and how coward she is,” Ioanna said as she left the court.
The defender was absent and the trial was adjourned for September 30, at the request of the district prosecutor, in order to rearrange the order of the witnesses and to examine first the victim who was listed fifth.
During today’s proceedings, the names of all 34 prosecution witnesses were read out, while the civil suit proposed another 5 witnesses, mostly scientists.
The defense stated that it intends to provide the list of defense witnesses at a later stage.
“My client today chose not to attend the court”, the defense lawyer stated adding that she will appear at the trial and “give the explanations she had to.”
He added also that “the charge of attempted murder is wrong” and should change into “grievous bodily harm.”
Victim Ioanna suffered severe burning injuries mainly on her face, when the attacker lurked her and threw a bottle of caustic vitriol at her in Kallithea suburb of south Athens.
Both women were from the same village but did not have contact in the past years, media reported. The attacker seemed obsessed with the victim and had even placed a detection device on her car.
So far, the young woman has undergone nine surgeries, suffered indescribable physical and psychological pain. The attack changed her life forever. Not only Ioanna but also the public wants Justice for this heinous crime.