She spoke of daily conflicts and incidents of violence, and sought help from Social Welfare Services, but whenever she reconciled with her husband, she would stop contacting the services.
On Monday, before the Nicosia District Court, Kyriaki Ioannou, the Head Nurse of Mental Health Services specializing in children and adolescents, who had worked with her as a social nurse.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“There was a conflict of feelings,” the witness stated, noting that while the mother wanted to change something in the family, in some instances she tried to protect her husband.
The witness, who had worked with the mother for about a year, from 2010 to 2011, as a social worker, described a family situation in which, according to what had been reported to her, there were intense conflicts, problems in the parents’ relationship, and reports of physical violence by the father toward the mother.
At the same time, however, as she noted, the mother appeared on certain occasions to be trying to protect her husband, while also seeking support from the relevant services.
She would ask for help and then distance herself
According to Ms. Ioannou’s testimony, the mother would contact the services whenever a serious incident occurred at home and ask for help.
However, when her relationship with her husband improved, she would stop communicating with the authorities, the witness stated.
The witness stated that her mother had mentioned that she and her husband were experiencing “daily conflicts,” and she also spoke of incidents of physical abuse by her husband toward her, some of which, according to the testimony, occurred in front of the children.
She didn’t want to lose him
References were also made during the proceedings to the period when the parents had been separated for about two months.
According to the witness, the mother had even considered the possibility of divorce. However, she eventually returned to her husband, saying—according to Ms. Ioannou’s testimony—that she didn’t want to lose him, as she was deeply in love with him.
After returning home, the mother reported that the conflicts with her husband continued, but had become less frequent.
Working alongside Stylianos at the scrapyard to avoid paying a worker
Referring to the family’s daily living and working conditions, the witness testified that her mother had mentioned they would go with Stylianos to the scrapyard to work in order to avoid the cost of hiring a worker, which was estimated at approximately 700 euros.
Ms. Ioannou’s collaboration with the mother had begun following a referral, based on a recommendation from an educational psychologist regarding Stylianos.
Regarding the child, the witness referred to behavioral problems at school, describing a child who, as she was told, “could not calm down” or concentrate.
The social worker’s notes documented issues concerning Stylianos’s behavior both at preschool and at home, the condition of the home, and the family’s limited social life.
“Physically and emotionally neglected”
The witness also referred to a document in which it was noted that Stylianos was neglected both physically and emotionally, while he also faced limitations in his social life.
When asked what had led her to that specific conclusion, Kyriaki Ioannou stated that she did not rely exclusively on the information provided by the mother.
As she explained, the picture had been formed from evidence gathered by all the agencies involved in Stylianos’s case.
According to her, the agencies involved were in contact with both the school and the family and exchanged information regarding the child’s condition.
The proceedings will resume on Wednesday, October 7, at 11:00 a.m. It should be noted that the case concerns the death of 14-year-old Stylianos Konstantinou, in September 2019, and examines whether there is liability both within the family and on the part of state agencies.
The focus is 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 Child Protection Services officials acted adequately or failed to assess and respond to reports that could have prevented the minor’s death.
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Source: CNA
