Mother accused of throwing 11-month-old infant into river

A prosecutor in northern Greece on Monday filed charges of homicide against a 30-year-old local woman accused of throwing her 11-month-old baby girl into the Aliakmonas River – a tragic incident that has shocked public opinion in the country at the dawn of the new year.

Initial reports have the woman claiming that she took the infant to a small river dam, but denying she threw her into the waters.

Police announced that the alleged filicide took place after the woman took a taxi from the village of Stavros, in Imathia prefecture, on Dec. 31, and while carrying the baby in her arms.

After pressed by relatives on the whereabout of the infant, police were notified. After questioning, she reportedly took authorities to the spot where she allegedly threw the child into the river. The lifeless body of the child was later spotted floating in the freezing waters.

A coroner’s initial cause of death is drowning.

Media reports in the country alleged a history of mental illness on the part of the mother, who is remanded in custody pending an appearance before an investigating magistrate.