For two years, the body of an infant has remained unclaimed at the morgue of Nicosia General Hospital. This is the three-month-old infant who died tragically in 2024 due to neglect and appalling living conditions. And now the infant’s remains are caught up in legal proceedings.

The spokesperson for the Cyprus Public Health Organization (OKYPY), Charalambos Charilaou, explains that in cases where no relatives can be found to claim the body, a decision by the coroner is required.

“The coroner must issue the order once the trial is completed. If the trial is not completed, according to what the medical examiner’s office has informed me.”
_{^{Charalambos Charilaou – OKYPY Press Spokesperson}}

READ ALSO: ALPHA On-Site Report: This is the house where the three-month-old infant “suffered”

And while the coroner issued an order for the infant’s burial—despite the ongoing legal proceedings against his parents—no one took an interest in the burial; the order has expired, and a new process will have to be initiated.

“At the very least, once a decision to bury the body has been made, there should be no delay whatsoever. Where there are no relatives to take charge and the coroner has ruled that the body may be buried, a diocese must be found to provide a burial site, and the appropriate funds must be allocated by the relevantministry.”
_{^{Charalambos Charilaou – Press Spokesperson for OKYPY}}

“He should have been buried by now. The medical examiners have done their job, they’ve written their reports, and therefore I don’t think an infant should remain unburied until any legal proceedings are concluded.”
_{^{Christos Clerides – Attorney}}

“There are bodies in all public hospitals, stored in the morgue’s cold storage rooms.”
_{^{Charalambos Charilaou – Press Spokesperson for OKYPY}}

READ ALSO: Two years after the tragedy: The little angel who “passed away” in a dilapidated house in Lakatamia remains unburied

The tragic story of the infant

It was July 2024 when a three-month-old baby girl was brought to the Emergency Department of Nicosia General Hospital by ambulance, already dead. The scene that greeted the doctors was shocking. Her tiny body was emaciated, her diaper was soiled, and her little hands and feet bore insect bites.

During the investigation of the case, the 23-year-old father from Pakistan and the 21-year-old mother from Greece were arrested on charges of homicide and child neglect. Police officers also conducted searches at the family’s residence, where they found appalling sanitary conditions.

Watch the report by Nasia Ioannou: