Following the conclusion of the cross-examination of the kindergarten teacher of 14-year-old Stylianos Konstantinou, who took his own life in September 2019, the trial continued on Wednesday before the Nicosia District Court, with the witness coming under persistent pressure from the defense attorneys and breaking down in tears during the proceedings.

The prosecution witness, KP, was subjected to extensive and persistent cross-examination by the defense attorneys, who attempted to cast doubt on both the credibility of her testimony and her accounts of events which, as she testified, had been confided to her by Stylianos when he was her student in kindergarten.

During cross-examination, she was once again shown photographs of Stylianos’s school classroom, while the defense reiterated its position that the picture the witness painted of the child’s condition during his time in kindergarten was unsubstantiated.

At the same time, questions were raised regarding the teachers’ obligations at that time in cases of possible abuse, as well as the fact that no complaint had been filed with the competent authorities.

During today’s proceedings, the father’s defense attorney, Konstantinos Kazantzis, returned to the issue of the teacher’s failure to report what—according to her testimony—she was aware of, arguing that “since you say you knew the child was being abused, you had a duty to notify the police.”

The witness reiterated that this was her first year as a teacher and that at the time she did not have the knowledge and experience she has today, adding that if she were to face a similar situation today, she would “immediately” file a complaint.

During cross-examination, the issue of the interdepartmental procedures manual on domestic violence was raised, with the defense arguing that the witness should have been aware of the relevant provisions.

The teacher replied that she was not familiar with that specific manual at the time.

The defense attorney pointed out to the witness that the classroom photographs did not show any apparent difference in Stylianos’s appearance or clothing compared to his classmates.

She replied that it was the day the class photo was taken, noting that she was familiar with the child’s daily appearance and insisted in her testimony that he often came to school wearing the same, dirty clothes.

“I came to share what I experienced,” the teacher said.

During cross-examination, the attorney for the third defendant, Viktora Akamas, presented the witness with the argument that “Stylianos never told you that his father hit him with a belt,” effectively dismissing that part of her testimony.

This statement caused the teacher to become deeply emotional; she burst into tears, saying before the Court: “I’ve been thinking about Stylianos all day. I come here, you show me photos of him, and you tell me I’m lying. This is very difficult for me.”

Addressing the defense attorneys, the witness stated that she had come to court to testify about what she herself had experienced and remembered from the time when Stylianos was her student, rejecting suggestions that she was distorting the facts.

Earlier, the defense had also argued that the witness’s meeting with the representative of the prosecution at the Legal Service prior to her testimony constituted “coaching of the witness.”

The witness rejected the claim, clarifying that the meeting lasted about 15 to 20 minutes and was limited to an explanation of the court proceedings, without her being informed of the questions that would be asked of her.

It should be noted that during her direct examination, the teacher had described Stylianos as a child who, while attending preschool during the 2008–2009 school year, often appeared unkempt, repeatedly wearing the same—and often dirty—clothes, while she also referred to what—as she testified—he himself had confided in her about what he was experiencing at home.

The proceedings will continue on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. with the testimony of the next witness, also a teacher, who taught the 14-year-old during the immediately following school year (2009–2010) and is expected to testify about the impression she formed of him during his time as a student.

The case, which is ongoing before the Nicosia District Court, concerns an 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 government agencies.

The proceedings focus primarily on whether there were instances of abuse or neglect within the family, whether the mother was aware of such incidents and failed to report them, as well as whether the relevant officials at the Child Protection Services adequately assessed and handled the information before them.

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Source: CNA