Prominent lawyer who brutally beat his wife released

A prominent and successful criminal defense attorney has been arrested for severely beating his wife, who is also an attorney and domestic violence consultant.

Apostolos Lytras, 52, appeared before prosecutors on Monday to answer charges of inflicting grievous intentional bodily harm on his 37-year-old wife, Sophia Polizogopoulou.

The lawyer took the wife to a private hospital in Athens with a swollen face, a broken nose and finger, other fractures and bleeding from the mouth. The victim and the perpetrator initially claimed that she fell down the stairs. When the victim was left alone with an emergency doctor at a private hospital, the woman admitted that she was severely beaten by her husband. The doctor called the police, and it was his medical report that became the basis for the arrest and criminal prosecution of Lytras.

Jealous husband

The couple were having dinner at a restaurant on Saturday night when the lawyer became enraged that his wife was receiving text messages on her mobile phone. She later told police that the text messages were from her sister, who was babysitting the couple's 9-year-old daughter. However, the messages triggered a jealous tantrum in her husband, who began hitting her as they approached their car and continued to hit her as the couple drove home.

When they arrived home, she asked him to take her to the hospital, fearing for her life, which he did on Sunday morning.

The criminal was released after giving evidence

After testifying, the judge and prosecutor imposed restrictions on him, including ordering him to move out of their shared home, stay away from the victim and seek psychological help. He was released pending trial. His release prompted the intervention of Supreme Court prosecutors, who ordered a preliminary disciplinary investigation into the authorities' decision. According to Mega TV, the intervention of the Supreme Court does not cancel the decision to release Lytras pending trial.

Lytras' press statements

In his first statements to the press, Lytras said he would seek help and said he had never been violent before. “I apologize to my wife, whom I love very much, and to my three daughters.”,” he said, in part.

“Unfortunately, I found myself in a situation where this incident occurred, and I still cannot give an explanation. I have never been violent in my life, I will look for ways to heal, I will seek help, because I truly have “I mean, I built a career and a family with a lot of effort, and both my wife and I will look for the psychological reasons for what happened, this is not something I can forgive myself for,” – he added.

It was the doctor's report that led to Lytras' arrest and charges, as it stated that the fractures and serious injuries to the victim's face, head and arms were caused by a person and not as a result of a fall from the stairs. The accused reportedly admitted his guilt but attempted to justify his actions by blaming the victim, saying he received certain phone messages that angered him.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse on Monday, Lytras expressed remorse and said he would seek treatment and apologized to his wife and daughters. According to media reports, the defendant was accused by his first wife of verbal domestic violence. He was convicted in 2017, but his ex-wife and one of his two daughters from his first marriage spoke in his defense on Monday.

The victim also claimed that this was the first time he had been physically assaulted, but media reported on Monday afternoon that the victim asked for police protection. She asked her husband for a divorce in October last year and claimed that “he was never cruel, despite his difficult character,” the newspaper ethnos.gr reported.

The Bar Association is investigating the case of its colleague

Meanwhile, the Athens Bar Association has ordered a disciplinary investigation into the matter and will consider possible disciplinary measures against the lawyer.

On Monday afternoon, the victim was examined by a forensic expert, who confirmed the doctor’s conclusion, in.gr reports.

PS. The decision by investigators and prosecutors to release lawyer Apostolos Lytras pending trial has raised questions, as well as concerns that someone could use violence and then walk free claiming to have a psychological problem and seek help.

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