A 27-year-old Palestinian man accused of assaulting, stabbing, and raping a 33-year-old Albanian woman in Omonia has been released on restrictive terms despite having no known residence.
Judicial sources said the decision by a local investigating magistrate was decreed because the the victim of the alleged assault had not yet provided an official statement.
Police said they were unable to obtain a deposition from the young woman because “she was not in a condition to speak.”
Attempts also by the investigating magistrate to obtain a statement, visiting the victim at the hospital, failed to heed any result because of her condition.
Still, the judicial official refused to detain the accused migrant, releasing him instead on restricted conditions and sparking public outrage.
Police found the 27-year-old earlier this week after a police patrol heard a woman screaming from an apartment in central Athens. Police broke down the door and found the woman stabbed, bound, and naked on the bed. The migrant was also found in possession of a knife.
The 33-year-old woman of Albanian descent identified the man as her tormentor and rapist before being transferred to the George Gennimatas state hospital.
The suspect’s release has caused public outcry, with many questioning the decision given the severity of the allegations and the victim’s inability to testify immediately due to her condition.