Bangladeshi man sentenced to life for rape and murder of Polish woman on Kos island

The prosecutor charged Sallahudin S. with kidnapping, rape, and the murder of Anastazja, as reported by detective Dawid Burzacki when the trial began on Monday. On Friday, the court sentenced the Bangladeshi man to life imprisonment, according to the Rodiaki portal and other Greek media.

Throughout the trial, the defendant maintained his innocence, but he was unable to convince the court, Rodiaki reported. The father of the murdered Polish woman told Wirtualna Polska that the verdict is not yet final.

The trial of the 33-year-old man started with delays, as some of the participants only received the case files on December 2.

"The death of Anastazja is one of the most high-profile criminal cases in recent decades. Some residents of the island, which relies on tourism, are concerned about its image, while the majority demand a quick resolution of the case and justice," said Marcin Jakubczyk, a reporter for TVN's Uwaga! program.

Anastazja, who worked at a hotel on Kos, disappeared in June 2023 after being released early from her shift. Surveillance footage captured her shopping and socializing with a group of South Asian workers, including the defendant. She later left with Sallahudin S. on his scooter, heading to his residence. This was the last time she was seen alive.

As reported by Fakty TVN, Anastazja managed to send a message to her boyfriend, but after that, all contact was lost. Sallahudin S. was the main suspect from the start, as he was the last person to have seen the Polish woman.

He had also purchased a flight ticket to Italy and planned to leave the island. "He typed phrases like: 'how to hide a body,' 'how to get rid of fingerprints,' 'how to mislead investigators,'" said Dawid Burzacki. After his arrest, the suspect denied any wrongdoing.

The victim’s body was discovered by a volunteer from a search-and-rescue team. It had been placed in plastic bags and hidden beneath branches near a salt lake, a popular tourist spot on the island. Preliminary investigations suggested Anastazja was strangled and sexually assaulted before her death.

"When you see a girl's body in that condition and you know what happened, you can't forget it," the volunteer said.

Sallahudin S., who worked on Kos, reportedly exhibited erratic behavior leading up to his arrest. The crime, which included evidence of premeditation, has been widely condemned, sparking discussions about safety and the treatment of migrant workers in Greece.