Concerns over the living conditions and apparent neglect of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou were examined before Nicosia District Court on Thursday, as testimony continued in the case surrounding his death by suicide in 2019.
A former liaison officer who worked on Stylianos’ case in 2010 and 2011 told the court that, in her view, the Social Welfare Services officer responsible for the case at the time, who is the third defendant, could have taken additional steps to protect the child.
The statement was made at the end of the witness’s examination-in-chief and before her cross-examination by defence lawyers. Prosecutor Eleni Constantinou had asked her to compare the handling of Stylianos’ case with similar cases she had encountered during her professional career.
Report recorded concerns about the home environment
The proceedings referred to a report prepared by the witness on 7 April 2011 in her capacity as liaison officer. The report was sent to the relevant District Committee and contained information provided by Stylianos’ teacher.
According to the report, allegations had been made concerning the extreme mistreatment of stray dogs at the family home, the consumption of dead animals from the farm and claims that the father deliberately made the child watch animals being slaughtered.
Serious hygiene concerns were also recorded, including reports of rats and cockroaches inside the house, as well as information that Stylianos frequently arrived at school without breakfast.
The witness said the child’s speech therapist and special education teacher had expressed similar concerns.
Witness describes an overall appearance of neglect
Giving evidence about her own observations, the witness said Stylianos appeared generally unkempt.
During cross-examination, the defence suggested that his appearance could have been the result of playing in the schoolyard or sandpit.
The witness replied that her concern was not based on isolated stains, dust or dirt from play, but on the child’s overall appearance and what she considered signs of neglect.
“It was not a child who had simply become dirty while playing,” she said.
She also referred to occasions when Stylianos allegedly told his teacher that he was not clean or that his mother did not take care of him.
When these issues were raised with the mother, she denied them, the witness said, resulting in conflicting accounts from the child and the family.
Role of the school aide
The witness also addressed Stylianos’ experience at school, saying the presence of a school aide was essential to his daily functioning.
She said the aide helped him follow lessons, find the correct pages in his books and return to his work when he lost concentration. The aide also supervised him during breaks.
The witness described a change in the child’s behaviour after a particular incident, saying that he became withdrawn, isolated and noticeably unhappy, and spoke very little.
Reports by children must be assessed
Responding to questions from defence lawyers, the witness acknowledged that both children and adults may provide false information. She stressed, however, that every allegation must be assessed and investigated against the available evidence.
She said that even if a child appeared clean and well cared for, any allegation of abuse would still require investigation.
In relation to Stylianos’ accounts of conditions at home, the witness said that children may sometimes exaggerate or describe events in ways that should not necessarily be interpreted literally. Such statements, she said, must therefore be examined alongside all other available information.
Defence challenges basis of witness’s conclusions
During cross-examination by Constantinos Kazantzis, the lawyer representing Stylianos’ father, the witness was questioned about the accuracy of her memory, the circumstances in which she met Stylianos at Ayia Varvara Primary School and the basis of the conclusions she presented to the court.
She confirmed that when she gave a statement to police, she had relied on her personal notes, which have since been submitted as evidence. She said her testimony in court was based on what she currently remembered about the events.
The witness said she had not met Stylianos during her first scheduled school visit because he was absent due to illness, but had seen him during a later visit.
She could not recall the precise time of the meeting, noting that her school visits generally took place before multidisciplinary meetings or during school breaks.
Kazantzis again suggested that the child’s appearance could have resulted from playing in the schoolyard or sandpit. The witness repeated that her concern related not simply to dirt from play, but to his broader appearance.
During cross-examination by Jonathan Pepito, the lawyer representing Stylianos’ mother, the witness was questioned about how statements made by children to the authorities are assessed and whether they are accepted without further investigation.
Asked whether she agreed that most children lie, she replied that both children and adults may lie, but said every statement must be considered according to its content, the investigation carried out and the remaining evidence.
Social Welfare Services procedures examined
Michalis Zeniou, representing defendants six and ten, both Social Welfare Services officers, suggested that the witness’s view that the third defendant could have done considerably more was a personal opinion and was not based on Exhibit 57, the 2002 manual outlining the duties of Social Welfare Services officers in cases of domestic violence.
The witness said she had studied both the 2002 and 2017 manuals.
The defence submitted that her view that the Social Welfare Services should have investigated indications of violence was based on her professional experience rather than solely on the provisions of the manuals.
The witness also agreed that some of her conclusions were based on information provided by Stylianos or by other individuals. She clarified, however, that reports about conditions at the home had also been made by people who had visited the property.
The hearing will continue on Friday at 11:00, with the remaining defence lawyers expected to continue their cross-examination of the witness.
The case concerns the circumstances surrounding the death of Stylianos Constantinou, with the court examining possible responsibility both within the family and among state services.
The proceedings are considering allegations of abuse or neglect within the family, whether the mother was aware of any such incidents and failed to report them, and whether Social Welfare Services officers adequately assessed and acted upon the information available to them.
Source: CNA
