Theophilos’ father: “Found his son dead where they were playing ball”

Father of murdered Theophilos Halivopoulosbrigadier general ΕΛ.ΑΣ.told the court how he found his son dead in the park Asirmatos.

Trial continues in Athens in a murder case Theophilos Halivopoulos in the area Agios Dimitrios. Today’s hearing took place in an extremely difficult emotional atmosphere: the father of the deceased spoke before the court, Brigadier General of the Greek Police (ΕΛ.ΑΣ.) Giorgos Halivopouloswho told how he arrived in Asirmatos Park and discovered the body of his son.

Previously “Athens News” We have already written about the first data on this case. April 22, 2026 in the area Agios Dimitriosin an abandoned Asirmatos parkthe body of a young man was found with a stab wound to the heart. In the first reports, the age of the deceased was indicated as 25 years old; in the materials of the current trial, the Greek media call it 27-year-old Theophilos Halivopoulos.

Read more about the beginning of the investigation in the material “Athens: 25-year-old police officer’s son found dead with stab wound to heart”.

The current trial concerns two young women and a 20-year-old man who have been charged with harboring a criminal after the murder of Theophilos. However, the prosecution support is now asking to separate the 20-year-old’s case into separate proceedings and change the qualification – from concealment to complicity in murder.

“I found my child where we were playing ball.”

The key point of the meeting was the testimony of the father of the deceased. Giorgos Halivopoulos said that he received official information about the incident and went to the place. There in Asirmatos parkhe saw his son dead.

“I was informed by the service that an event had occurred. I went and found my child dead where we were playing ball,” said the father of the deceased. This phrase became one of the most difficult moments of the meeting: for the family, a place associated with ordinary life and memories turned into a place of death.

Theophilos’ father also spoke about his son’s relationship with one of the accused women. According to investigators, it was the personal relationships and social circle of the deceased that could have become one of the reasons for the events that led to the murder.

Tears in the courtroom

During the father’s testimony, one of the accused women could not stand the tension, burst into tears and left the hall, shouting: “I can’t take it anymore”. To this, the mother of the deceased, who was also in court, answered her with pain: “But I can’t…”.

The scene showed how difficult the process remains for everyone involved. But for the family of the deceased, the main thing is not the emotions of the accused, but the answer to the question: who exactly knew about the impending attack, who helped after the crime, and whether anyone could have prevented the tragedy.

Why does the prosecution require a change in qualifications?

A significant development was the motion by the lawyers to support the prosecution. They demand that the 20-year-old’s case be separated and considered separately, and the charges against him be strengthened: instead of harboring a criminal — complicity in murder.

Theophilos’ father told the court he believed the 20-year-old knew what was about to happen. Asirmatos park. It was this assessment that became one of the central points of today’s meeting. If the court finds that the 20-year-old’s role was more active than simply hiding the criminal after the murder, the case may receive a completely different legal weight.

Previously, the court rejected the defense lawyers’ request to postpone the hearing. The trial continues in a tense atmosphere, since we are talking not only about murder, but also about the possible role of people from the immediate circle of the deceased and the accused.

What is known about the background of the murder

When the body of a young man was found in Asirmatos parkthe investigation first considered several versions. The possibility that the fatal wound was inflicted elsewhere was being investigated and the body was then moved to the park. Versions related to group conflicts and the possible football environment were also studied.

Later, the investigation took a different direction: personal relationships, social circles and a possible motive associated with one of the young women. Greek media reported that it was this connection that could become the background to the crime.

The found crime weapon is also of particular importance in the case. According to Greek media reports, the knife, which investigators believe was used to inflict the fatal blow, was discovered later. It was allegedly hidden on the roof of the house, behind the water heater. These details became an important part of the investigative picture.

The court must determine the role of each

Now the court will have to understand not only the actions of the main defendant in the murder, but also the behavior of those who, according to investigators, could have helped him after the crime. That is why the trial against two women and a 20-year-old is attracting increased attention: it should show where passive silence ends and complicity or conscious cover-up begins.

For the family of the deceased, this is not a formal legal nicety. If someone knew about the impending attack or helped hide the culprit after the murder, this changes the moral and legal picture of the case. The court must answer the question whether the tragedy was the result of a single knife blow or a chain of actions and decisions of several people.

Editorial comment

This case is difficult not only because of the murder itself. It is difficult because of the place, the circumstances and the figure of the father, who turned out to be not just the parent of the deceased, but also a high-ranking police officer. A man with a lifelong connection to security arrived on the scene and found his own son dead in an abandoned park where he had once played catch with him. It is difficult to imagine a more cruel blow of fate, although fate, as we know, rarely suffers from a sense of proportion.

But behind the emotional side of the matter there is another question: how such crimes mature in a circle of acquaintances, personal conflicts, jealousy, silence and possible help after the murder. If the investigation and the court establish that someone knew about the attack in advance or helped hide the perpetrator, this will mean that we are talking not only about an immediate outbreak of violence, but about a wider chain of responsibility.

For society, such processes are important precisely because they show that crime rarely arises out of nowhere. Usually there are people around him, conversations, warnings, fears, hints and someone’s willingness to “not interfere.” The court must establish the legal truth. But society must also draw a conclusion: silence next to violence too often becomes its accomplice.

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