Police on Friday were investigating the murder of 41-year-old Petya Krateva, after she was stabbed multiple times by her 48-year-old husband.
The incident unfolded at around 10am when the two began fighting and both attacked each other with knives. Under circumstances that are still being investigated, Krateva was either thrown out or fell off of the apartment balcony.
She was pronounced dead upon arrival to Paphos general hospital. The 48-year-old has since been arrested and is being treated in hospital under guard for his own injuries. He is not in critical condition.
Neighbours said that they had attempted to contact the police as soon as the fighting started, but they had difficulty getting through to the correct department, which delayed the arrival of officers.
Alphanews shared a screenshot of an individual who had called police four times to no avail. “After it was all over, they got here,” the person said.
According to police spokesman Christos Andreou, the police chief has ordered an investigation into the allegations.
Sources said he woman was found covered in blood on the sidewalk outside, with suspicions raised that her husband had pushed her from the balcony after stabbing her.
In a statement later, Paphos Police Chief Nicos Tsappis said: “This morning, police responded to reports of an injured person. Members of the Paphos District Police Directorate promptly attended the scene, where they discovered the injured person to be a 41-year-old woman. Subsequent examinations confirmed her death.”
He confirmed that police are now conducting a murder investigation.
“The focus of our investigation is on a 48-year-old suspect, who was also taken to Paphos hospital for injuries sustained,” he added, emphasising that the investigation is in its early stages and further details will follow.
Regarding police response time, Tsappis assured, “As soon as we received notification, officers promptly responded to the scene to locate the injured person. Any issues regarding response time will be thoroughly investigated.”
