Greek authorities have identified the body found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens as that of a 38-year-old British woman, confirming she had been dead for several weeks. The discovery was made 11 days ago, and until Wednesday, the remains had remained unidentified despite appeals to foreign law enforcement agencies.
Identification and Victim Details
“The remains, we can confirm, have been identified as belonging to a British woman,” a well-placed source said. “Her next of kin have been informed,” they added, noting that the victim had been born in Scotland in 1988. The woman, whose body was wrapped in cloth and placed inside a bin bag within the suitcase, was described as 5ft 4in tall with auburn hair gathered in a bun. She was wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, with no tattoos or other distinguishing marks.
Discovery and Investigation
Police were alerted after a homeless man reportedly discovered the suitcase on 18 July in a derelict building in Kypseli, a district popular among foreign nationals in downtown Athens, according to public broadcaster ERT. The woman had reportedly flown from the US to Greece, arriving on 29 June from Cyprus. Homicide officers sent fingerprints to Interpol after drawing a blank on local databases, and US authorities provided DNA evidence that led to the identification.
Detectives cordoned off the building on Evelpidon Street as they investigated the circumstances of the death. Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou previously stated that CCTV footage was being examined to trace the woman’s movements, and authorities were treating the incident “as a criminal act, given how the body was found,” she told Skai TV. Airlines are believed to have been approached as investigators try to reconstruct the Briton’s journey to Greece and determine if she was traveling alone. Officials in Greece and Cyprus are scouring flight logs and hotel bookings.
Postmortem and International Involvement
Local media, citing postmortem results, said the victim had been dead for eight days before the discovery, with “no evidence” of a struggle or signs of injury. Greek officials did not rule out UK investigators joining the inquiry. The British embassy acknowledged it had been informed but made no further comment. Officials noted that while Greece is a popular holiday destination where British tourists sometimes die from drowning or road accidents, “incidents like this are very rare.”
