Vicky Stamati has been reported missing from her cell at the Dromokaitio Psychiatric Hospital, where she was being kept. Mrs. Stamati appears to have picked the lock of her door and disappeared. Hospital sources revealed that she left a message behind explaining the reasons of her actions.
On Wednesday the courts rejected her fifth request for an early release and later spoke with her lawyer, Frangiskos Ragousis. She told him that she did not want to die in prison and wanted to be with her child. The lawyer reported that he did not pay much attention, as she regularly told him the same things.
When asked where she might be headed, Mr. Ragousis argued that she was either headed for her child, or for Parliament to stage a protest. Mr. Ragousis urged his client to not harm herself and further exacerbate her situation.
The same sources also revealed that she spoke to her husband – former Minister of National Defense Akis Tsohatzopoulos – who urged her to remain calm and to be patient. She reportedly insisted that she would not die in prison. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos issued a statement urging her to surrender herself in order to receive the necessary treatment she requires.
The fugutive Stamati appears to have left a message, explaining the reasons for her escape. Employees at the Psychiatric Hospital explained that the facility «is not a prison«, therefore it is natural for strict security measures to not be in place.
Mrs. Stamati was detained and arrested in April 2012 over a major procurement scandal involving her husband. She was later found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering. After her sentencing, Mrs. Stamati’s psychological state is said to have deteriorated, prompting authorities to transfer her from Korydallos to the Psychiatric Hospital for closer monitoring and care.
Preliminary disciplinary inquiry to be launched
The Minister of Justice Nikos Paraskevopoulos issued a statement that a disciplinary inquiry has been launched in order to determine the liability of the officers tasked with guarding Mrs. Stamati at the psychiatric hospital. He also stated that «every escape is a failure«, but noted that protecting the life and health of prisoners are paramount.
Mr. Paraskevopoulos also announced that measures will be taken so that female inmates may also receive treatment at the psychiatric hospital and the Korydallos Prison Hospital, as part of the plan to integrate them in the national healthcare system (ESY).
Four prison officers have been arrested in connection to the case.
