Court rules to withhold investigators’ conclusions in Stylianos suicide case

The Nicosia district court ruled on Thursday to reject a defence request for full disclosure of criminal investigators’ findings in the case surrounding the death of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou, while ordering that all evidentiary material be handed over.

Delivering the decision, Judge Pavlos Ayapitos held that releasing the findings in full “poses a serious risk” to the rights of third parties.

At the same time, he affirmed that “the evidence obtained during the investigation of the case is subject to disclosure,” granting the defence full access to statements, documents and other material collected.

The ruling follows a request filed on March 27 by defence lawyers seeking access to a November 2020 report prepared by criminal investigators after the completion of their inquiry.

The document, submitted to attorney-general George Savvides, includes both evidentiary material and conclusions on whether criminal offences arose.

Agapitos clarified that the prosecution’s obligation “does not extend to the disclosure of what the criminal investigators concluded”.

However, the court stressed that ensuring a fair trial requires full transparency of the evidence itself.

The prosecution has been ordered to provide copies of specific sections of the report, including pages 3 to 6 and annexed material, by midday on Friday.

Proceedings are to resume on April 7.

The case centres on the suicide of Stylianos in September 2019, which prompted an investigation into alleged abuse within the family and possible institutional failures.

A total of 218 charges have been brought against 11 defendants, including the boy’s parents and nine social service officials.

The father faces charges related to alleged physical and psychological abuse, including “cruel and inhumane treatment”, while the mother is accused of failing to report known violence.

 Social welfare officials are charged with dereliction of duty, with two having already pleaded guilty.

A police officer is being tried separately.

During earlier proceedings, the defence insisted the document by divulged as it is directly relevant to contested issues.

“The trial cannot proceed without disclosure,” lawyers claimed, particularly as one of the report’s authors is expected to testify as a prosecution witness.

Prosecutors opposed the request, maintaining the report constitutes internal communication and should remain confidential, rather than evidentiary material.

Testimony heard in recent hearings has pointed to a pattern of complaints over more than a decade.

Police officers described incidents in which Stylianos’ mother reported domestic disputes and alleged violence, but in several cases declined to pursue formal action.

Defence lawyers have questioned whether authorities followed proper procedures, arguing that failures in response may be central to the case.

The trial also draws on findings from an independent investigation, which identified serious shortcomings by both police and social services.

These included failures to recognise psychological violence and to act on repeated warning signs.