Welsh woman, 23, died on Greek island hotel balcony

The care worker sent a goodbye message to her family before taking her own life

Conor Gogarty Investigations editor

10:39, 05 May 2025

General exterior view of Golden Sun hotel in Kalamaki, Zakynthos, Greece

The Golden Sun hotel in Kalamaki, Zakynthos, Greece(Image: Google)

A 23-year-old Welsh woman was found hanged on the balcony of her hotel room on the Greek island of Zakynthos. Melissa Cross, from Merthyr Tydfil, died by suicide, a coroner has ruled.

Pontypridd Coroners' Court heard the care worker died on September 25, 2023, at the Golden Sun, a four-star hotel in the resort town of Kalamaki. Coroner Kerrie Burge said: "There had been no previous indications that Melissa would harm herself but Melissa had sent a goodbye message to her family explaining her thoughts and intentions."

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The coroner added: "On the balance of probabilities it is more likely than not that Melissa intended to take her own life by her actions."

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The court heard Ms Cross was born in Merthyr Tydfil and was a resident of the town at the time of her death.

Why we cover inquests – and why it's so important that we do

As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others’ lives.

The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of open justice.

It’s a journalist’s duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret. An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person’s death.

But, most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening.

Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system is not held to account.

Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide.

Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest. Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one.

Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected. However, as has been seen by many powerful media campaigns, the input of a person’s family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others.

Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered and lives will be lost.

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