Greek public opinion was shocked by heartbreaking news, on Tuesday morning, when it was reported that an 87-year-0ld man had been remanded in custody for the attempted murder of his 89-year-old wife, in what appears to be a failed ‘mercy killing’ attempt.
The man, based in the southern Athens suburb of Palio Faliro was arrested on Monday after informing his neighbor that he had killed his wife, according to reports at TO VIMA.
The neighbor called the police and upon their arrival at the couple’s apartment, she was found naked on her bed, conscious and breathing.
The couple, originally from the United Kingdom, had lived in the apartment for 20 years and both suffered from health problems.
She Asked Her Husband to Kill Her
According to reports, the woman was taken to a hospital in south Athens, known as Tzaneio hospital, where she admitted that she had asked her husband to kill her.
The elderly woman had been suffering from serious health issues for years and was bedridden, and no longer had the desire to live. Honoring her request, her husband tried to kill her by smothering her with a pillow.
The elderly man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and was brought before the authorities on Monday, where his fate will be decided by a prosecutor.
Mercy Killing and Assisted Suicide in Greece
Euthanasia, assisted dying, and mercy killings, whether performed by a doctor or not, are illegal in Greece. Also aiding in a suicide is considered to be homicide and is punishable.
According to a Euronews report from 2022, euthanasia by a licensed medical professional is overwhelming outlawed in most European Union countries. Moreover, the debate around euthanasia carries many subtleties, around the level of involvement of physicians and how active their role it.
Euronews says that “assisted dying refers to both voluntary active euthanasia and physician-assisted death…Voluntary active euthanasia involves the physician playing an active role in the patient’s request to die, usually by supplying an intravenous lethal substance. Physician-assisted death implies that the medical personnel provides the patient with the lethal means to kill themselves, meaning it’s the patient who employs them. Some countries have also allowed passive euthanasia, which is the withdrawal or withholding of life-preserving treatments, at the request of the patient or a family member.”
