Galery

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The court in Syros adopted the prosecutor’s proposal and imposed on Pakistani Ahmed Vakas who, in the summer of 2012, had brutally attacked Myrto Paros, aged16, the following penalties:

- life imprisonment for robbery

- 18 years in prison for attempted murder

- 18 years in prison for rape

- 3 months in prison for illegal work

The total sentence includes life imprisonment and another 25 years in prison, and a lifelong deprivation of political rights.

"If he is out of prison he must be extradited from Greece for life", the prosecutor also suggested.

Earlier the court had heard the shattering testimony of Myrto’s distressed mother, which had moved to tears even the prosecutor who had asked for a half-hour break in the procedure.

At the beginning of the hearing the accused showed the judges that he had repented and accepted all the charges, "I ​​accept all charges. I want to apologise to Myrto’s family for what I did."

According to sources, Mary Kotrotsou, the girl’s mother, had tried to reach the Pakistani but the police had stopped her. She was looking at him persistently but he stood with his head bowed down all the time.

"There must be a penalty for the sake of my child, not for my sake. My child will never be the same again", she said.

In her testimony before the court, Mary Kotrotsou said that the Pakistani had wanted not only to steal Myrto’s phone but also to kill her. "He had been watching what she had been doing. Myrto had not seen him and if she had she would have never set off." In addition, the mother said, "Myrto is looking at me, screaming. I want to believe that she understands me when I talk to her."

As indicated in "Proto thema", Mary Kotrotsou had explained in her testimony the following:

"We went to the island of Paros because my elder daughter was tired after the exams for the university. She wanted to go on vacation with her ​​friends but I was afraid. Therefore, we decided to go together to keep an eye on our elder daughter "(...) "I had taken the car to be able to help if she and the other young people needed anything. That day we were on the beach; Myrto, who was a very conservative and not very sociable child, did not want to undress and swim. She asked me if she could go for a walk and I said "No".

- "Why, mum?", Myrto asked me.

- "Because there's a black man who is constantly watching us and he frightens me. Besides, we will go after a while."

- "Where is he now? I cannot see him", said Myrto.

- "He went up the hill, my child", I replied.

- "All right, I will be here on the rocks, listening to some music. When you collect the stuff, call me or give me a ring and I will come..."

A little later, when her mother rang, her phone was switched off.

"We immediately started looking for her with my elder daughter", Mary Kotrotsou states in her testimony. "We reached the rocks and my daughter said:

- Mum, there's a strange one down there."

- "Is it Myrto?", I asked.

- "I do not think so", said the girl.

"When I approached the place, I saw a mutilated face and body. There was blood everywhere. Lots of blood. Her right eye was closed and swollen and blue. Her left eye was open and still. It was swollen and bloody too. I thought that if she was not dead she would die in a few minutes."

Meanwhile it is clear that tomorrow 16-year-old Myrto will be back in Greece after seven months of treatment abroad.
 
Her health condition has slightly improved and, after her return to Greece from Boston, she will be under treatment in the rehabilitation centre in Larissa, which specializes in the treatment of skull and brain injuries. There, the girl will undergo special treatment that will last for months.

On Friday afternoon, the doctors and rehabilitation therapists at the centre in Larissa will obtain information on Myrto’s condition from her doctors in America through a videoconference.

As stated by head of the rehabilitation centre Catherine Saramourtsou, currently the 16-year-old girl is not communicating normally, however stressing, "The very fact that she is communicating with her eyes is very important because it means that she understands and responds."

Catherine Saramourtsou stressed that Myrto’s condition will be fully evaluated after her arrival. It is expected that she will undergo full physiotherapy treatment as well as speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychological support and secondary social adaptation.