THE STORY
Although a work of fiction, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou was inspired by the true story of Hella Dorothea Christofis (nee Bleicher), who was murdered by her mother-in-law, Styllou Pantopiou Christofi, on 28th July 1954.
Styllou, a 53-year-old grandmother who’d come to England to visit her son, his wife and children, spoke no English and read and wrote no Greek. Her daughter –in-law, Hella, was German. The motive given by the prosecution for the killing was that of jealousy, and the evidence against Styllou was overwhelming, but she always professed her innocence.
Prisoner Christofi’s erratic behaviour while awaiting trial was noted by the Chief Medical Officer at Holloway Prison, Dr Christie. He observed her over a number of months and declared her insane (though medically fit to stand trial). Styllou’s son, Stavros, urged her to plead insanity but she refused, stating ‘I may be poor and illiterate, but I’m not mad.’ Dr Christie’s report, detailing his findings, was never presented to court, and Styllou was found guilty and sentenced to hang.
This is a relatively unknown true crime case and received little publicity at the time, especially considering its gruesome nature. Seven months after Styllou’s execution, there was a huge public outcry when Ruth Ellis was hanged for the murder of her abusive lover, David Blakely. In his autobiography, the executioner to both women, Albert Pierrepoint, noted the lack of press interest in Styllou’s fate. He said, ‘One wonders if it was because she was middle-aged, unattractive and foreign.’