Residents and workers in the Athens neighbourhood where the body of Scottish aid worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross was found have described the 'devastating' effect her death has had on the community.
The 38-year-old's body was discovered by a homeless man inside a derelict building in Kypseli on July 18. A 26-year-old man, believed to be Sharif Ahmadzai, appeared in court in the Greek capital on Wednesday on suspicion of killing the aid worker, along with weapons offences and robbery charges.
Community in shock
Khalil Jebali, 29, who has lived on Aiginis Street for four years, said the crime was 'pretty devastating' because he plays tennis right across from where the body was found. He told the Press Association: 'I was extremely devastated for the death of the woman, and every time I hear about these tragic events all I think of is the fear that that person was feeling when it took place.'
Jebali, who works in a restaurant and a call centre, said many in the community feared the killer would strike again before the arrest. 'Many people were very scared when the crime happened and the criminal was not apprehended yet,' he said. 'My female friends at work were kind of scared to come to downtown.'
Fears of backlash
He described Kypseli as a 'neighbourhood of immigrants' and said residents worried about an anti-immigration backlash after it emerged the suspect had come to Greece as an Afghan refugee. 'It's actually a very calm neighbourhood,' he said. 'This type of crime is extremely rare because in Kypseli, maybe the biggest crime that you might hear or see is drug dealing.'
Alex, 30, who works close to where the body was found, said it was 'disturbing' to think a killer had been in their midst. 'We were all shocked because we know the place, we are really close to it,' he said. 'It's shocking because you don't know who you're talking to. Everyone can be anything, really. And now, a murderer just coming by. It's scary.'
