Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Anastasia Anthousi said that regarding the incident with the beating of the Iranian woman in Limassol, accusations about delay of the Social Welfare Services are not true. As she said the officers acted in time, proposing solutions aiming at the protection of the woman and of her child.
In her statement, Mrs Anthousi initially denounced the incident and reiterated the government’s decisiveness to implement measures to eradicate violence.
She also said that due to the Iranian woman’s frequent conflicts with her landlords, the Services had suggested her temporary move into a shelter. She noted that the woman does not receive a rent allowance since she has not presented a lease agreement so that she would be entitled to one. However, the woman refused to leave.
Regarding her underage child, it was left with a neighboring family when she went to hospital and the Social Workers who visited it saw that everything was in order. When the mother had to be hospitalized the child was taken to a friendly family, which again the social workers checked.
Based on the above, Mrs Anthousi said that claims about delay of the services are not true.