Stylianos’s teacher described on Monday, during his testimony before the District Court of Lefkosia, the image of a child who, despite the difficulties he faced, saved his food to share with his siblings and never spoke ill of anyone, Stylianos’s teacher described on Monday during his testimony before the Nicosia District Court, likening him to “a holy ascetic.”
The prosecution witness, S.M., who was Stylianos’s teacher in the second and third grades of elementary school, described the child’s learning difficulties, the school’s efforts to support him, as well as the concerns that had been expressed about his living conditions.
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As he noted, the child would come to school unkempt, with dirty clothes and a dirty face, uncombed hair, and dirty fingernails. He often wore shoes that were too big for him and had a strong, unpleasant odor, which made the other children reluctant to sit next to him.
“When I walked past the children’s desks to grade their worksheets and reached Stylianos’s desk, I’d take a deep breath, hold my breath, correct the worksheet, and walk away to resume breathing,” he said, adding that the odor was more intense on some days and more bearable on others.
He added that he and the child’s caregiver were trying to improve his hygiene and appearance. As he explained, the caregiver helped him every morning to wash his face and hands, brush his teeth, and comb his hair. At the same time, he said, they made efforts to help him socialize. While at the beginning of the school year Stylianos would sit alone with his caregiver during recess, he gradually began to join in the games, though he remained “very reserved.”
Referring to the child’s diet, the witness said that “from the very first days, we noticed that his breakfast was inadequate,” as he often had only a little cheese or olives with him. He and the chaperone made sure to give him food or buy him something from the school cafeteria.
As he described, Stylianos would often save the food they gave him to take home and share with his siblings. “I distinctly remember that whenever I brought him cake my wife had baked, he would come to school the next day, eager for me to take it back to her,” he said.
According to the witness, the child’s mother spoke of financial difficulties and that the family’s income was insufficient, while she complained that the father did not help out at home. As he explained, the help she was asking for mainly involved food and clothing, and the entire community pitched in to support the family. He himself donated clothes on several occasions, while his wife bought powdered milk for the family.
At the same time, he noted that Stylianos faced significant learning difficulties, as he “was falling behind what was expected for second grade,” resulting in the child being given modified assignments.
In response to a question from the representative of the Prosecution, Elena Konstantinou, regarding whether he had noticed any academic impacts from the child’s afternoon activities, the witness stated that he believed the child’s trip to the farm after school limited the stimuli the child received, and that the child did not even have time to complete his homework. As he reported, Stylianos told him that he went to the farm immediately after school, while he himself suspected that the homework was being done by his mother, as he noticed a different handwriting style. For this reason, he said, he recommended that the child not go to the farm.
The witness also described Stylianos’s outbursts of anger, which were observed mainly toward the end of the school day. As he explained, he had noticed a recurring pattern, as the child would become agitated as the end of the school day approached. As soon as the bell rang, while the other students ran to meet their parents, Stylianos would get ready slowly and leave last.
Referring to an incident in October 2011, he said that when he gave the students an assignment during the last period, Stylianos tore up his handout, overturned chairs and desks, and damaged all the signs in the classroom. “He tore the classroom apart; he was completely out of control,” she noted.
“I asked his chaperone to take him out of the classroom,” he said, adding that the parents were outside waiting for their children to get out of school. As he recounted, when the mother hugged Stylianos, he hit her, while he himself heard the mother say to him: “‘My Stylianos, don’t do what you see your father doing.’” As he testified, this led him to conclude that the child may have been a witness to domestic violence.
The teacher also noted that, over time, he changed the way he approached the child, and gradually Stylianos began to trust him, as well as his chaperone, and became more cooperative.
“If I’d known how it would end—and this is something I regret—I would have kept a journal. Every day I would have had something to write down. Whether he tore up a pamphlet, tore down a sign, or flipped over the chair next to him. I didn’t keep a diary. It’s one of the mistakes I made, and I admit it,” he said, referring to Stylianos’s outbursts at school.
The witness also testified that his caregiver often suspected that the child might be a victim of abuse. On one occasion, while Stylianos was in speech therapy, he complained of back pain and said he couldn’t sit down. Subsequently, the caregiver and the speech therapist called the teacher, who, as he stated, noticed bruises on the child’s back. After the responsible Social Welfare Services (YKE) official was informed of the incident, she visited the school approximately 10–15 days later, when, according to the witness, there were no longer any visible marks on the child’s back.
The teacher clarified that, aside from the incidents he described, he had no other specific reports or evidence that the father was abusing Stylianos. He did mention, however, that in May 2013, the mother came to the school and told him that the father had hit the child. He referred her to the school principal, who contacted the relevant social services officer. Subsequently, Stylianos gave a videotaped statement to the police.
Finally, the teacher referred to a multi-topic meeting in February 2013, when Stylianos was in third grade, during which the termination of the school escort’s services was discussed. As he testified, the Ministry’s position was firm, and the official in charge told him, “I’m not going to have an aide combing and shaving a baby.” He disagreed, believing that the child was not yet ready to manage his emotions throughout the school day. Ultimately, it was decided to terminate the school escort service.
When asked if Stylianos spoke positively about his parents, the witness said that he did not speak positively, but neither did he accuse anyone. “Imagine a holy ascetic who eats sparingly, goes hungry but does not eat, saves his food to share with his brothers, and never speaks ill of anyone,” he said, describing the impression he had formed of the child.
The proceedings will continue on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. with the cross-examination of the witness.
It should be noted that the case concerns the tragic death of 14-year-old Stylianos Konstantinou in September 2019 and examines whether there was any liability both within the family as well as on the part of government agencies.
Source: CNA
