The owner of three dogs that mauled to death a 50-year-old woman in Neochorouda, outside the northern city of Thessaloniki, was ordered jailed on Tuesday after his lengthy preliminary testimony to the local prosecutor.
According to local news site thesstoday.gr, the prosecutor and investigating magistrate ordered his remand after his extensive statements, during which the 37-year-old once again expressed his devastation over the tragic death of the woman.
The dog owner also apologized to the family of the victim during the proceedings. The prosecutor had previously filed criminal charges against him for manslaughter with possible intent.
According to reports by state-run AMNA, the legal basis for charging the 37-year-old with a felony is based on a ruling by the Greek Supreme Court, which previously upheld the felony conviction of a dog owner whose animal caused serious bodily harm to a pedestrian.
The high court judged that the specific act was committed with possible intent, as the owner did not take appropriate precautions, knowing that the animal was dangerous, thus accepting the risk that ultimately materialized.
The unfortunate woman, a mother of two, was viciously attacked on Sunday afternoon by three large dogs outside her stand-alone residence after she exited her garden to throw away lawn debris. The trio of dogs reportedly escaped through a hole in, or under a fence at a nearby residence where they lived.
