A shocking domestic homicide in Drama, northern Greece, has left the country reeling: a 50-year-old police officer fatally shot his 45-year-old wife — also an officer — before taking his own life, leaving their two children suddenly orphaned.
Discovery and Background
The crime came to light when their teenage son found his mother covered in blood at their home. The couple had recently decided to separate and had sought help from a psychologist — a specialist affiliated with the Hellenic Police, though this was unknown to the force itself.
According to reports by Star newspaper, the man had been seeing the psychologist every Tuesday at a private practice. While no psychiatric disorder was formally diagnosed, the psychologist observed symptoms of panic attacks and heightened anxiety. He had referred the man to a psychiatrist and prescribed calming medication. Notably, it was the victim — the 45-year-old woman — who first sought psychological support; she later encouraged her husband to join her in therapy.
Confidentiality and Professional Limits
Due to medical confidentiality laws, the psychologist was not obligated to inform the police force about his patient’s condition. However, after the crime, he told investigating officers that had he identified any serious risk — such as suicidal or homicidal intent — he would have intervened. He stated that, during sessions, the man had shown no signs of self-harm, suicide ideation, or violent tendencies toward others.
Additional Support and Warnings
Beyond professional psychological care, the man frequently consulted his spiritual advisor. His wife, trying to manage the situation as calmly as possible, had informed her husband’s superior officer about his deteriorating mental state. She had also requested a temporary transfer to Thessaloniki — but never filed a formal complaint, fearing it would escalate tensions.
About a month before the tragedy, she told friends, “We no longer communicate.” Her close circle understood the relationship was effectively over. A friend of the perpetrator recounted a phone call one week prior to the incident: “He said, ‘I’m depressed, things aren’t going well — I’m separating from Antigoni.’ When I asked if he’d tried to reconcile, he replied, ‘Nothing works anymore — it’s over. I’ve been like this for so long.’”
Final Hours
After the separation, the man had returned to his hometown of Koudounia in Drama, where he lived with his mother. On the day of the crime, he and his wife met in hopes of reconciling — a scenario they had repeated just two days earlier, when colleagues reportedly saw them sharing coffee together in Drama.