The assessment that there was room for more substantial interventions by Social Welfare Services, the descriptions of the extremely alarming living conditions of 14-year-old Stylianos Konstantinos, who took his own life in 2019, and the references to the child’s apparent state of neglect, took center stage during the hearing before the Nicosia District Court on Thursday.

With the completion of the direct examination of witness S.K., who served as a liaison officer for Stylianou’s case from 2010-2011, and as cross-examination of her by the defendants’ defense attorneys began, the witness stated that, in her opinion, the Social Welfare Services caseworker who handled the minor’s case during the period 2010-2011—who is the third defendant—had the opportunity to take further action to protect the child.

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This position was expressed in response to a question from the representative of the prosecution, Eleni Konstantinou, who asked the witness to compare the handling of this specific case with other similar cases she had handled during her professional career.

In light of reports describing an atmosphere of intense concern

During the proceedings, reference was made to a report she had drafted on April 7, 2011, in her capacity as a liaison officer, which was forwarded to the relevant District Committee and included information provided by Stylianos’s teacher.

According to the report, it described incidents of extreme abuse of stray dogs on the property, the consumption of dead animals from the farm, as well as allegations that the father deliberately forced the child to witness the slaughter of animals.

At the same time, serious hygiene issues were documented, with reports of mice and cockroaches in the home, as well as information that the child often did not bring breakfast to school.

The witness stated that both the speech therapist and the special education teacher who were working with the minor shared these same concerns.

“This wasn’t just a child who had gotten dirty while playing.”

Testifying about her personal observations, the witness described a pattern of general neglect on Stylianos’s part.

During cross-examination, when the defense suggested that the child’s appearance could have been due to playing in the schoolyard or in the school sandbox, the witness replied that what had struck her was not individual stains or dust from playing, but the overall picture of neglect that he presented.

She also mentioned that there were instances when Stylianos told his teacher that he wasn’t clean or that his mother wasn’t taking care of him.

As she explained, when these issues were brought to the mother’s attention, she denied them, resulting in a contradiction between the child’s statements and the family’s position.

The Crucial Role of the School Counselor

The witness also spoke at length about the 14-year-old’s school life, emphasizing that the school counselor’s presence was crucial to his daily functioning.

As she explained, the aide helped him follow along in class, find the right page in his books, and get back to his work when he lost focus, while also supervising him during breaks.

He also described a change in the child’s behavior following a specific incident, noting that the child became particularly introverted, isolated himself, spoke very little, and appeared deeply unhappy.

“Children’s allegations are investigated—they are considered neither true nor false.”

Responding to questions from the defense, the witness stated that both children and adults can lie, but clarified that every report is evaluated and investigated based on the available evidence.

As she said, even if a child appears well-cared-for, any allegation of abuse would be investigated.

Regarding Stylianos’s reports about the situation at his home, she noted that some of a child’s descriptions may be exaggerated or not conveyed literally, which is why they are always evaluated in conjunction with all other evidence in the case.

The defense challenged the basis of the witness’s assessments

During her cross-examination by the father’s defense attorney, Konstantinos Kazantzis, the witness was asked to answer questions regarding the accuracy of her memories, the circumstances under which she had met Stylianos at the Agia Varvara Elementary School, as well as the basis for the assessments she made before the Court.

The witness confirmed that when she had given her statement to the police, she had relied on her personal notes, which have been submitted as evidence, clarifying that in her testimony today she is referring to what she remembers of the events.

In response to questions from Mr. Kazantzis, she stated that during her first scheduled visit to the school, she had not met Stylianos, as he was absent due to illness, though she had seen him during a subsequent visit.

She also said that she did not recall the exact time of the meeting, noting that her visits to schools usually took place before multidisciplinary meetings or during recess.

The defense suggested to the witness that the child’s appearance—namely, that he was dirty—might have been due to the fact that he had previously been playing in the schoolyard or in the sandbox.

The witness replied that the impression she had formed was not merely that the child was dirty from playing, but rather the overall appearance of neglect he presented.

Subsequently, during cross-examination by the defense attorney for Stylianos’s mother, Jonathan Pepito, the witness was asked to comment on how reports made by children to the relevant authorities are evaluated and whether they are accepted without further investigation.

Responding to a question about whether she agreed with the view that most children lie, the witness stated that both children and adults can lie, clarifying, however, that each report is evaluated based on its content, the investigation, and the rest of the available evidence.

The defense attorney for defendants 6 and 10 (YKE officials), Michalis Zenios, pointed out to the witness that her view—that Defendant 3 could have done much more in Stylianos’s case— is a personal opinion and is not based on Exhibit 57—that is, the 2002 manual on the duties of YKE officials in cases of domestic violence.

The witness stated that she had studied the 2002 and 2017 manuals, while the defense pointed out that her position—that Social Welfare Services should investigate incidents of violence—was based on her professional experience and not exclusively on the provisions of the manuals.

The witness also agreed that some of her conclusions were based on information provided by Stylianos himself or other individuals, clarifying, however, that reports on the condition of the residence had also been provided by individuals who had visited the site.

The hearing will resume on Friday at 11:00 a.m. with the remaining defense attorneys continuing their cross-examination of the witness.

It should be noted that the case concerns the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of 14-year-old Stylianos Konstantinou, with the Court examining potential liability both within the family and on the part of state agencies.

At the center of the proceedings are, among other things, allegations of abuse or neglect within the family, whether the mother was aware of such incidents without reporting them, as well as whether the relevant Social Welfare Services officials adequately assessed and handled the information before them.

Source: CNA