Ahmed Waqas was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal attack on Myrto Papadomichelakis, on the island of Paros, Greece, in the summer of 2012. His trial began on Tuesday morning in the court of Syros, the administrative capital of the Cycladic islands.
The 23-year-old Pakistani admitted approaching Myrto who was sitting on the beach and trying to steal her phone. She resisted and Wagas struck her head against the rocks. Waqas is also accused of molesting Myrto as she lay unconscious.
At the beginning of the trial the defendant appeared contrite and apologized to Myrto’s family for his actions. The testimony of Myrto’s mother was shocking. “When I approached her I saw her body and face almost wrecked. There was blood everywhere. Her eyes were swollen and bruised. I thought that if not dead yet, she would definitely be so in a few minutes,” she said. “He didn’t just hit her. He wanted to kill her. I’m sure of it.” she added.
Myrto suffered extensive head trauma and was transferred to a specialist clinic in Boston in the U.S. where she underwent surgery and therapy. Myrto and her family have returned to Larisa in central Greece where she is in a rehabilitation center. According to her mother, Myrto’s health is not good, “My child will never be as she was,” she said.
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