The mother of a 3-year-old girl found dead on an Athens beach allegedly attempted to flee the country shortly after the child's death, according to new reports, while her lawyer says the woman denies the charge of intentional homicide.
The 32-year-old Algerian national was arrested last week in connection with the death of her daughter, whose body was discovered on a beach in Palaio Faliro on July 27.
According to public broadcaster ERT, two days after the death, the woman contacted the Algerian embassy and the International Organization for Migration to arrange her repatriation.
The woman's lawyer, Evita Varela, told Star TV that her client "does not agree with the charge of intentional homicide and does not accept it."
Ms. Varela said the woman acknowledges her actions in abandoning the body were wrong but denies committing murder.
Ms. Varela also stated that her client has been a repeated victim of domestic violence.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities question the mother's claim that the child died in an accident at home, a story contradicted by a forensic report that indicated the girl may have drowned.