An anesthesiologist doctor was sentenced to prison this morning for the death of little Melina Paraskaki, who died during a routine operation in 2015 at the Venizelos Hospital in Heraklion.

The trial was conducted in the Three-member Appellate Court for Misdemeanors of Eastern Crete, and the accused was sentenced to 18 months in prison with a three-year suspension. She was found guilty even though two mitigating circumstances were recognized, previous good service and good behavior after the crime for which she was prosecuted.

Before the court, the doctor presented her position on what happened at the end of December, 8 years ago, which led to the death of the 4-year-old girl, and she answered the questions of the court and the lawyers.

"We have to have confidence in the Greek judiciary, even though sometimes we have to wait for years," were the first words Melina's father, Manos, said after the trial ended.

For his part, the representative of the Paraskakis family, Giorgos Kokosalis, said that "finally, after 8 years, there is justice for Melina".

The case is being tried in the second instance after the intervention of the former prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Isidoros Dogiakos. The anesthesiologist was acquitted by the first instance court. However, the Appellate Prosecutor filed an appeal and the case had to be decided in the second instance.

The doctor is accused of strictly not following the applicable protocol during the process of resuscitation and treatment of the allergic reaction that 4-year-old Melina had, with constant bronchospasm, hypotension and bradycardia. Specifically, according to the indictment, the doctor allegedly administered an excessively fast intramuscular infusion and a single dose of 200 mg of adrenaline, while in the first 5 minutes she did not immediately administer the appropriate bronchodilators, which caused a chain reaction of multiple organ failure, pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock.