Court hears testimony on systemic neglect of Stylianos Constantinou before his suicide

The Nicosia District Court is currently examining whether family and state negligence contributed to the 2019 suicide of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou. During recent hearings, primary school teachers and a special educator provided testimony detailing the boy's severe neglect during his childhood. Witnesses described the student as isolated, often arriving at school dirty, unkempt, and emitting an unpleasant odor. Educators noted that he often struggled with fatigue, frequently falling asleep at his desk, which the boy attributed to being forced to work on his father’s farm late into the night.

Testimonies highlighted that school staff had identified physical marks on the child’s body, which were attributed to his father. Teachers reported these incidents to school leadership, but concerns were raised regarding the delayed response of social services, with one witness noting that an welfare officer visited the school only after physical injuries had already faded. The trial, which has involved intense cross-examinations between defense lawyers and witnesses, continues to address the systemic failures and potential abuse that marked the youth's life before his death.