Vasos Vasou
A 79-year-old woman suffering from dementia was transferred to a nursing home on Wednesday afternoon, after being found locked inside her iron-barred house in Larnaca, shouting for help.
Police said her 58-year-old son, who lived with her, will be charged with domestic violence, and a case will be filed against him before the Larnaca District Court in the coming days.
According to witness statements collected by police, the son had locked his mother inside the house while he was at work, believing it was the only way to prevent her from wandering off. Neighbours told authorities the woman had been locked inside since last July.
The incident, first reported by Phileleftheros newspaper, prompted a response from the Social Welfare Services (SWS), which said they had no prior reports of mistreatment, abuse, or violence, only a general notification late last September from a family acquaintance suggesting that the woman “should be placed in a care facility.”
The case came to light when a passerby heard the elderly woman shouting “help” on Wednesday morning and reported it to police. Officers from the Family Violence Unit of the Larnaca CID, assisted by firefighters, entered the house and rescued her.
Maria Kyratzi, Director of the Social Welfare Services, said the agency had no records of mistreatment involving the 79-year-old. She added that on 29 September, a family friend had contacted the Services to recommend that the woman be moved to a care home, but made no mention of abuse. Kyratzi noted that two years ago, SWS staff had visited the woman’s home following a report and had found her living conditions to be “satisfactory.”
AKEL Statement
Meanwhile, the Larnaca District Committee of AKEL called on the Social Welfare Services and the competent deputy minister to “answer and take responsibility” for the incident.
“The SWS had long been aware of the tragic situation in which the 79-year-old was living and, despite repeated complaints from neighbours, failed to help her move to a care facility,” AKEL said. “It is fair to ask whether this case had to be made public before the necessary procedures were finally completed and the state provided the help this elderly woman so desperately needed,” the party’s statement concluded.
