The disappearance of 75-year-old Erato Athanasiou appears to have ended in tragedy, after a body found on Thursday morning in the Paphos State Forest is believed to be hers. Athanasiou had been missing for 11 days.
The body was found in an unidentifiable condition, but according to indications so far, it is believed to be the missing woman. A forensic pathologist was called to the scene to carry out a post-mortem examination, and DNA samples are expected to be taken for formal identification of the body. Police said all possibilities are being examined.
According to a report by philenews, the woman's relatives are said to have identified her, as well as the clothes she was wearing.
A search that lasted over a week
Erato Athanasiou had been reported missing since Sunday, 23 August, when she was last traced in the Tsakkistra area. A large-scale search operation was mounted to locate her, involving the relevant authorities and volunteer groups. The search operation was announced as concluded on Wednesday.
According to a police statement, the body was found at around 9.30am by Forestry Department officers at the "Kallinikos" location, within the Paphos State Forest.
