It was July 28, 2024, when a three-month-old baby girl was brought to the Emergency Department of Nicosia General Hospital by ambulance, already dead. The doctors on duty were confronted with a horrific sight: her tiny body was emaciated, her diaper was soiled, and her little hands and feet bore insect bites…

The authorities tasked with investigating the circumstances of the infant’s death arrested the 23-year-old father from Pakistan and the 21-year-old mother from Greece, on charges of manslaughter and child neglect. Angeliki Papetta and Orthodoxos Orthodoxou performed the legally required autopsy on the body of the unfortunate girl, while police officers searched the family’s residence, finding appalling sanitary conditions.

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

Watch the report that aired on Alpha Cyprus’s Main News Bulletin in August 2024:

Two years later, the infant’s remains remain unclaimed at the Nicosia General Hospital morgue. The coroner, however, proceeded to issue a burial order, despite the ongoing legal proceedings against the parents.

OKYPY Spokesperson Pambos Charilaou explained on the Alpha News program that the matter involves legal issues. He further explained that if no relatives are found who are willing to claim the body and hold a funeral, there are dioceses that have the necessary facilities and can conduct the funeral service.

Attorney Christos Clerides noted that a deceased infant does not constitute evidence in any legal proceeding; rather, it is the findings of the respective autopsy that do. At the same time, he called on the new Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs to examine the issue and establish a specific procedure for unclaimed remains.