Fresh hope for family as Crete death investigation is reopened
THE family of a Scottish woman who died in Crete ten years ago hope to finally get justice after Greek prosecutors agreed to reopen the case.
A probe into the death of Jean Hanlon had been last year shelved due to a lack of evidence.
Her body was found in Heraklion harbour on the holiday island in March 2009, four days after she sent a text reading ‘help’ to a friend.
Police initially wrote off her death as an accidental drowning, but a coroner’s report that was demanded by her family found the mother-of-three suffered serious injuries including shattered ribs, a punctured lung and facial wounds.
A post-mortem examination also found that the 53-year-old’s neck was broken before she entered the water, and her shoes were scuffed, which her family believe could be down to her being dragged.
The case was shelved in May last year but Miss Hanlon’s family said a Greek prosecutor has now agreed to re-open the probe.
It follows a Channel 5 television documentary about the murder last month which resulted in new information coming to light.
Miss Hanlon’s son Michael Porter, 44, said: ‘This is a massive step forward and we have had a huge amount of support to get to this point. We are remaining optimistic that this could lead to justice but we aren’t naïve and from past experience know how easily the case can be shelved again.
‘We just plan to keep the campaign going and keep the pressure on. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and planning to make sure it stays open until every unanswered question is answered.’
Mr Porter, of Dumfries, said he and his niece, who is Miss Hanlon’s granddaughter, plan to travel to Crete to hand out leaflets and posters appealing for information about her death.
Miss Hanlon moved to Crete from Dumfries in 2005 after her marriage broke down.
Family and friends say the grandmother, a former hospital secretary, was enjoying life and working in cafes and bars on the island before she disappeared on March 9, 2009.
On the day she was last seen Miss Hanlon met a Scottish friend who later told police she said a car had been following her, but that she did not seem distressed.
Later that day Miss Hanlon went for a job interview at the Blue Sky Taverna, where owners said she got the post and left happy.
She then spent the evening with a man in a café in the city of Heraklion, calling a friend midway through the night.
However, when questioned Miss Hanlon’s friend told officers that the victim had sounded ‘drugged’ during the phone call.
An hour later Miss Hanlon sent the same friend a one-word text saying ‘help’. He did not reply.
Her body was found floating in Heraklion’s port four days later. An initial investigation pointed towards two suspects, a Belgian and a Greek national. But no charges were brought and the probe was eventually shelved.
Mr Porter added: ‘We are making a public plea in Greece for the first time, which is something we have previously been advised not to do. But it’s important to keep the pressure going, especially as this year marked the tenth anniversary of her death.’
‘This is a massive step forward’