Regarding “numerous red flags” dating back to 2010 in the case of 14-year-old Stylianos Konstantinou, a new prosecution witness— a special education teacher with the Ministry of Education and Culture and the child’s liaison officer, referring, among other things, to “extremely serious neglect,” violence in the family environment, and severe aggressive behavior at school.

The case concerns the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Stylianos’s death, with the Court examining potential liability both within the family and on the part of government agencies. The proceedings continued on Tuesday with the prosecution’s direct examination of the witness.

The witness stated that her involvement began following the decision of the District Committee for Special Education and Training on March 9, 2010, to provide special education and speech therapy to Stylianos. As she said, from the very first session she realized that this was not a simple case of learning or speech therapy difficulties, but a “very complex” case, with “many red flags” that should have alerted those involved.

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At the first multidisciplinary meeting, on May 14, 2010, she said, they discussed whether the child’s enrollment should be suspended so that he could remain in preschool for another year. Most, she said, were in favor, but the mother did not agree. The witness also stated that a recommendation was made for a school aide due to the child’s behavior and safety concerns.

During her testimony, the witness referred to a personal note she had written on January 25, 2011, following a phone call from the school, in which reports of “extremely serious neglect” were documented. As she said, she was told that the children were very dirty, that there were mice, cockroaches, and dogs, and that the father brutally beat the mother and the mother beat Stylianos.

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She also mentioned that the child’s caregiver was considering quitting because she had developed a rash, which was attributed to filth, while, she said, the student sitting next to Stylianos had similar skin problems.

The witness said she saw Stylianos once at the elementary school, for about 10–15 minutes, and became emotional while describing the encounter, causing the proceedings to be briefly interrupted. As she reported, his appearance showed an “incredible lack of care,” adding that “he smelled bad,” had dirt under his fingernails, on his hands, and on his face, and that the child “knew it.”

Describing him as a “very withdrawn child,” she said he didn’t relax during the conversation, even when they were talking about his favorite game, “wolves and lambs.”

Regarding the child’s behavior at school, the witness reported that he had learning difficulties, fine motor skill difficulties, outbursts of anger, disorganization, aggression, and difficulties in his relationships with other children. She further stated that, based on the reports before her and the child’s behavior, she could conclude—as she put it—that there were “obvious” issues of violence and neglect.

The witness also referred to incidents that, as she said, Stylianos allegedly experienced or witnessed on the farm, noting that she recalled a report that the father had slaughtered, as punishment, the child’s favorite little goats as punishment.

Referring to the multi-topic session on February 1, 2011, attended by the mother, she said that the goals set were cleanliness, ensuring food, and discretion. The witness stated that, in her estimation, while Stylianos had begun to develop a very good relationship with his teacher and his aide, “everything fell apart” when, as she surmised, he learned what had been discussed during the multidisciplinary meeting.

In this context, she said that the child subsequently began calling the teachers “liars,” while very aggressive behavior was observed. According to the witness’s account, Stylianos shouted “not home” up to 100 times when he was told that his parents would be notified to pick him up.

Referring to a letter from the school regarding incidents during the last week of February 2011, the witness said that Stylianos was violent, extremely disruptive, tore up his classmates’ drawings, attacked his teacher and his chaperone, and ran out of the school onto the street. She also said that when his mother was notified to pick him up, the child shouted again that he did not want to go home.

That period, she said, had caused particular concern among the teachers regarding the safety of the child himself, the other students, and the staff.

The witness also referred to a multidisciplinary meeting in which both parents participated, noting that there had been reports of poor living conditions at home, as well as family dysfunction.

As she explained, according to the records, the clinical psychologist had noted that Stylianos was vulnerable and fragile, with emotional problems that prevented him from concentrating because of his parents, and that he was losing his childhood by taking on an adult role he could not handle.

The witness also said that following the multidisciplinary meeting on March 22, 2011, an improvement in the child’s condition was noted, while at the last multidisciplinary meeting in which he participated, on May 12, 2011, it was noted that efforts to improve living conditions had begun and that the child’s relationships with the school environment had improved.

The proceedings will continue on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.

Source: CNA