Court hears testimony on abuse and neglect of Stylianos Constantinou

In the Nicosia District Court, proceedings are ongoing to determine potential liability regarding the death of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou, who took his own life in 2019. During the latest hearing, speech therapist Niki Prodromou provided emotional testimony detailing the severe neglect and physical abuse the boy suffered while he was a primary school student in Ayia Varvara, Nicosia.

Prodromou testified that starting when the boy was eight years old, he arrived at school frequently unkempt, hungry, and unwashed. The witness recalled the boy confiding that his father beat him with a belt and forced him to work on the family farm overnight. According to Prodromou, Stylianos exhibited low self-esteem and, in a 2020 statement, she noted his desperate pleas, including asking her to become his mother. The therapist stated that the boy’s mother and relevant state authorities were aware of the abuse he faced at home.

The court is currently evaluating the extent of responsibility shared by the family and state services for the tragedy. The proceedings aim to establish how such severe conditions remained unaddressed, as the witness described the boy’s educational struggles as being akin to living in a state of constant fear and survival.