‘I never saw Marguerite again. She died on August 3, trying to protect our baby. We lost our child along with 103 other people. What remains is grief. I wasn’t physically burned, but emotionally I have not recovered. I no longer live—I simply continue until the end.’

Marguerite’s child was the first recorded fatality in the fire in Mati, which occurred on July 23, 2018—a date that marked profound loss for dozens of families.

Marguerite passed away, leaving her husband, Andreas Demetriou, to reflect on the circumstances and decisions that led to the loss.

That day, their six-month-old son was going to be fitted for his christening clothes. “My wife suggested we go see the child’s clothes before heading to the service,” Demetriou recalled. “I declined. I wonder if the outcome would have been different had I agreed. I ask myself that every night.”

Questions like these remain for many of the victims’ families and those who survived the disaster. Even after the trial concerning the events in Mati, many feel that full accountability and closure remain elusive.