A young woman who has become a symbol of fortitude and iron will, for the first time made a bold decision to show her face without a mask.
Ioanna Paliospirou, who was doused with sulfuric acid by her rival near her working office in Kallithea in May 2020, after a series of complex operations, will show her face for the first time in the show “Protagonists” (“Πρωταγωνιστές”) on the Greek channel “Alpha”.
She will tell Stavros Theodorakis about the moment when she was horribly attacked by Efi Kakaranzula, as well as the great battle she is still fighting not only for her physical but also for her psychological rehabilitation.
“It was the starting point when life was divided into before and after. Go back to where you cried, smile and change history,” says the trailer for the show, which will be shown on Thursday, April 28 at 00:00.
Course of events
In the metropolitan area of Kallithea, on May 20, 2020, there was a “showdown” between two women. One doused the other with sulfuric acid. At the same time, 34-year-old Joanna was admitted to the hospital in serious condition. Doctors diagnosed a chemical burn on 20% of the patient’s body. Law enforcement authorities immediately launched an investigation into the brutal attack, which was carried out for personal reasons. According to preliminary information, the attacker committed the crime out of hatred and jealousy.
The victim of the crime, a young woman, was on her way to work in the office that day. At 09:40 she entered the entrance of the building located on Fiseos Street (Kallithea) and stopped at the elevator. At that moment, a “black-clad” woman wearing a protective mask approached her and suddenly splashed some kind of liquid on her. As it turned out, it was sulfuric acid, which got on the face and body of the victim. According to eyewitnesses, the offender immediately retreated, running across Fiseos Avenue, and left by taxi.
At this time, 34-year-old Joanna began to scream in pain, and passers-by immediately rushed to her aid. The girl was taken to the nearest pharmacy, where the pharmacist helped the victim to remove the clothing fabric that had literally melted and stuck to the skin, and provided first aid.
For three months the patient was treated at the burn center of the Triasio hospital. And he is still in therapy. In addition, in addition to undergoing 10 operations, she still has to undergo several.
Judgment and punishment for the criminal
The court sentenced Efi Kakaranzula, accused of attacking Ioanna Paliospiu with sulfuric acid, to 15 years and three months in prison.
It was decided to keep her in the pre-trial detention center until the case was considered in the court of second instance (after filing an appeal).
Ioanna Paliospirou’s lawyer, Mr. Apostolos Lytras, speaking on the ANT1 program “Good Morning Greece”, stressed: “It appears from the case that the defendant intended to destroy her rival.” Referring to the verdict, he said that the criminal would remain in prison for a maximum of six years, “but even more cruel trials await John,” apparently referring to the fact that life will not be easy for a girl who has received severe injuries. “At some point, something needs to be done about some specific sentences and specific crimes, and I think that with this decision of the court, the confusion will stop,” Mr. Litras continued.
Joanna’s first reaction after Kakaranzula’s verdict was: “I thank Greek justice.”
According to Mr. Litras, it is very difficult to change the indictment and sentence in a subsequent appeal: “The court’s decision is set out in detail.”
As Russian Athens wrote earlier, a trial took place over a woman accused of attacking a rival with sulfuric acid. The prosecutor ruled: Efi Kakaranzula was found guilty of the attempted murder of Joanna Papaspirou. Appropriate punishment for the 36-year-old young accused of assault has been requested by prosecutor Charalambos Mastrantonakis. He demanded that the offender be convicted of attempted murder in a calm (sane) state, and also asked to reject the defense’s motion to reclassify the indictment.
Shortly before 10:00 am on October 21, hearings began on the case of a woman attacking another woman with sulfuric acid. As the prosecutor of the mixed jury Haralambos Mastrantonakis stated: “The accused felt a fierce hatred for Joanna, believing that she mocked her. From that moment, a plan began to destroy her rival with a corrosive liquid.” Having finished with the legal part of the case, he moved on to the facts of real events, revealing all the actions of the accused up to the moment of the attack.
As the prosecutor pointed out, regarding the issue raised by the parties in the case of how the caustic liquid got into the hands of the perpetrator Efi, “the court should focus not on the fact that third parties were involved in the case, but on the fact that such hazardous chemicals could not easily fall into the hands of one and all.”
He commented on the relationship between the accused and the victim and described that they lived in the same area but had no relationship with each other. The point of intersection in Athens is just a cousin of the victim. According to the prosecutor, Efi’s relationship with the 40-year-old man (because of whom everything happened) was free, but when he began to care for Joanna, the girl “with dignity and respect for the feelings of the guy tried in every possible way to avoid contact with him.” Overwhelmed by jealousy, Efi began to send messages to Joanna about this. She asked the girl what she had “with this man.” Joanna politely replied that “absolutely nothing.” At this time, the boyfriend did not leave efforts to conquer the “shrew” and continued to insist on a relationship.
The prosecutor pointed out that “there is no evidence in the case file to show that the victim was in contact with the said person, contrary to what the accused thought about it.” “I thought there was something between them,” she said in court. Later, uncontrollable jealousy drove Efi to crime. Having done that, she obviously did not repent.
The perpetrator is currently in prison.
It was decided to keep her in the pre-trial detention center until the case was considered in the court of second instance (after filing an appeal).
Ioanna Paliospirou’s lawyer, Mr. Apostolos Lytras, speaking on the ANT1 program “Good Morning Greece”, stressed: “It appears from the case that the defendant intended to destroy her rival.” Referring to the verdict, he said that the criminal would remain in prison for a maximum of six years, “but even more cruel trials await John,” apparently referring to the fact that life will not be easy for a girl who has received severe injuries. “At some point, something needs to be done about some specific sentences and specific crimes, and I think that with this decision of the court, the confusion will stop,” Mr. Litras continued.
Joanna’s first reaction after Kakaranzula’s verdict was: “I thank Greek justice.”
According to Mr. Litras, it is very difficult to change the indictment and sentence in a subsequent appeal: “The court’s decision is set out in detail.”
As Russian Athens wrote earlier, a trial took place over a woman accused of attacking a rival with sulfuric acid. The prosecutor ruled: Efi Kakaranzula was found guilty of the attempted murder of Joanna Papaspirou. Appropriate punishment for the 36-year-old young accused of assault has been requested by prosecutor Charalambos Mastrantonakis. He demanded that the offender be convicted of attempted murder in a calm (sane) state, and also asked to reject the defense’s motion to reclassify the indictment.
Shortly before 10:00 am on October 21, hearings began on the case of a woman attacking another woman with sulfuric acid. As the prosecutor of the mixed jury Haralambos Mastrantonakis stated: “The accused felt a fierce hatred for Joanna, believing that she mocked her. From that moment, a plan began to destroy her rival with a corrosive liquid.” Having finished with the legal part of the case, he moved on to the facts of real events, revealing all the actions of the accused up to the moment of the attack.
As the prosecutor pointed out, regarding the issue raised by the parties in the case of how the caustic liquid got into the hands of the perpetrator Efi, “the court should focus not on the fact that third parties were involved in the case, but on the fact that such hazardous chemicals could not easily fall into the hands of one and all.”
He commented on the relationship between the accused and the victim and described that they lived in the same area but had no relationship with each other. The point of intersection in Athens is just a cousin of the victim. According to the prosecutor, Efi’s relationship with the 40-year-old man (because of whom everything happened) was free, but when he began to care for Joanna, the girl “with dignity and respect for the feelings of the guy tried in every possible way to avoid contact with him.” Overwhelmed by jealousy, Efi began to send messages to Joanna about this. She asked the girl what she had “with this man.” Joanna politely replied that “absolutely nothing.” At this time, the boyfriend did not leave efforts to conquer the “shrew” and continued to insist on a relationship.
The prosecutor pointed out that “there is no evidence in the case file to show that the victim was in contact with the said person, contrary to what the accused thought about it.” “I thought there was something between them,” she said in court. Later, uncontrollable jealousy drove Efi to crime. Having done that, she obviously did not repent.
The perpetrator is currently in prison.
Shortly before 10:00 am on October 21, hearings began on the case of a woman attacking another woman with sulfuric acid. As the prosecutor of the mixed jury Haralambos Mastrantonakis stated: “The accused felt a fierce hatred for Joanna, believing that she mocked her. From that moment, a plan began to destroy her rival with a corrosive liquid.” Having finished with the legal part of the case, he moved on to the facts of real events, revealing all the actions of the accused up to the moment of the attack.
As the prosecutor pointed out, regarding the issue raised by the parties in the case of how the caustic liquid got into the hands of the perpetrator Efi, “the court should focus not on the fact that third parties were involved in the case, but on the fact that such hazardous chemicals could not easily fall into the hands of one and all.”
He commented on the relationship between the accused and the victim and described that they lived in the same area but had no relationship with each other. The point of intersection in Athens is just a cousin of the victim. According to the prosecutor, Efi’s relationship with the 40-year-old man (because of whom everything happened) was free, but when he began to care for Joanna, the girl “with dignity and respect for the feelings of the guy tried in every possible way to avoid contact with him.” Overwhelmed by jealousy, Efi began to send messages to Joanna about this. She asked the girl what she had “with this man.” Joanna politely replied that “absolutely nothing.” At this time, the boyfriend did not leave efforts to conquer the “shrew” and continued to insist on a relationship.
The prosecutor pointed out that “there is no evidence in the case file to show that the victim was in contact with the said person, contrary to what the accused thought about it.” “I thought there was something between them,” she said in court. Later, uncontrollable jealousy drove Efi to crime. Having done that, she obviously did not repent.
The perpetrator is currently in prison.
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