Stylianos Constantinou, who took his own life at age 14, was a severely neglected boy who would never have turned out well, a witness in the ongoing trial told the court on Thursday.
Taking the stand was a special educator assigned to Stylianos during the 2012 to 2013 academic year, when the boy was in third grade.
The teenager committed suicide in 2019.
In the trial held at Nicosia district court, the witness said that though Stylianos at the time attended third grade, his learning skills were equivalent to the first grade.
“He could barely read, but was trying hard,” the educator said.
The hearing turned emotional when the witness, reading out a statement he had made to police in 2020, began sobbing.
“Based on his [the boy’s] overall state, it was a given that he would not turn out well, but I never thought he’d do what he did,” the witness said, referring to the suicide.
“Instead, I thought that one day he’d open the door and leave home.”
The witness described Stylianos as neglected, tired and isolated from his classmates.
Whenever the session with the educator came up, they would find Stylianos asleep at his desk.
“We’d try to wake him, he just wouldn’t wake up, and then he’d tell us he was tired as he was up until 11pm working at the farm.”
The boy would never do his homework, telling teachers he had no time because of his chores at the family farm.
Stylianos looked depressed and sullen, the witness said.
“He did not get to experience childhood.”
As to the boy’s poor physical state, the witness said Stylianos had dirty fingernails and hair, and used to smell badly.
“His skin was covered with dark spots, his hair was matted, his smell…you just couldn’t bear it.”
The boy would come to school with torn shoes and soiled clothes.
Regarding the family situation, the witness said Stylianos’ mother had told him of heated arguments with the father, who allegedly was a heavy drinker, had extramarital affairs and would not give money to the family.
The witness never met the father, who never got in touch with him to ask about the boy’s school performance.
On one occasion, following an argument in the family, Stylianos left the house and spent the entire night in a field. This happened in May 2013, the witness recalled.
On another occasion, the mother took the children and went to stay with her parents in Kokkinotrimithia for a number of days. Because she was unable to take Stylianos to school, located in Ayia Varvara, Stylianos would miss classes.
The court set the next hearing for Friday, when the witness will be cross-examined.
There are 11 defendants in total, facing charges ranging from physical/mental abuse to negligence.