Senior officials from the Ministry of Justice, accompanied by police forces, conducted a raid on the Patras forensic service in western Greece on Monday amid its suspension of operations following revelations brought up in the Irene Mourtzoukou case.
Authorities are reportedly collecting all forensic reports issued from January 2020 to present day, covering both living and deceased individuals, for re-examination.
The collected reports will be transferred to the Ministry of Justice, where they will be reviewed by the general director of the forensic service.
Any findings considered questionable will be forwarded to the prosecutor for further investigation.
The development comes just days after Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis ordered the suspension of the Patra forensic service’s operations.
The decision followed revelations of potential errors in earlier forensic assessments, particularly in the case involving the alleged murder of four infants by Irene Mourtzoukou, including her own two children and the death of her infant sister more than a decade ago.
The 25-year-old, who is facing charges of serial homicide with intent (including both completed and attempted crimes), was remanded in custody following her formal statement to the Patras magistrate on Sunday.
Mourtzoukou, who has also been charged with the attempted murder of an adult friend, was placed in pre-trial detention by the magistrate and prosecutor.
According to police, the alleged offences were carried out at different times and involve the deaths of her two biological infants, another baby, and the attempted murder of an adult female friend.
Upon leaving the courthouse, she was met with jeers and expressions of outrage from citizens gathered nearby, requiring heavy police presence to escort her safely to the waiting police vehicle.
She was then transferred back to the General Police Directorate of Attica, where she will remain until being moved to Korydallos Women’s Prison.
Mourtzoukou’s lawyer, Nikos Alexandris, stressed to media that she provided “answers to everything” in her written deposition.
“She confessed, as previously declared, and did not retract her statement. She did not attempt to evade responsibility. She responded to everything, indicating her commitment to take responsibility for the portion of guilt that is truly hers — but not all of it. The legal process will now follow its course, and we remain at the authorities’ disposal.”
The case has been the centre of intense media scrutiny and growing calls for psychological evaluation and systemic reforms.
The raid into the Patra forensic service seems to signal the beginning of such reviews to be undertaken internally.
