Nicosia, Cyprus. Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis, who was questioned in 2020 in connection with the 2019 suicide of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou, denied any responsibility, press reports said on Wednesday.
Statement obtained by Phileleftheros
According to press reports, during testimony given in September 2020 Arnaoutis gave no answer to 31 questions posed and, after the 32nd question, denied any responsibility without referring to the actual case, for which criminal investigators had then found him possibly liable.
Phileleftheros reported it obtained the statement by Arnaoutis, who at the time was head of the Pera Chorio police station, which had received at least four complaints by Stylianos’ mother against her livestock farmer husband.
Investigators cite grounds for liability
On Tuesday in court, independent investigators Andreas Andreou and Modestos Pogiadjis confirmed they had concluded there were grounds for criminal liability for multiple police officers, including Arnaoutis, following their examination of repeated complaints made over several years to police stations.
The case concerns 21 recorded reports made by Stylianos’ mother between 2007 and 2013, involving allegations of domestic violence, threats and assaults.
Complaints allegedly closed without follow-up
According to the police report presented in court, many complaints were registered in station logs but were subsequently marked as closed without further investigation or escalation.
Stylianos was found dead by suicide at the family farm on September 5, 2019, and his two younger siblings were removed from the family home after his death.
March 2013 complaint and alleged neglect of duty
Investigators found Arnaoutis in 2020 was liable for a complaint filed in March 2013, when the mother reported her husband for pushing and slapping her.
According to the investigators, the complaint should have been investigated by Pera Chorio police station under a 2007 circular issued by the then police chief regarding domestic violence.
In their December 2020 report, the investigators said there could be a case against Arnaoutis for neglect of duty.
What do you think police stations should do to ensure domestic violence complaints are fully investigated and escalated when necessary?
