Cyprus Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis was investigated for a criminal offence in connection with the 2019 suicide of 15-year-old Stylianos in Kotsiatis, it emerged at a court hearing on Tuesday, with documents obtained by Philenews revealing that he declined to answer 31 of the 32 questions put to him during a 2020 investigative deposition.
The disclosures came during proceedings in the case concerning the death of the teenager, in which nine people face charges. Independent criminal investigators Andreas Andreou and Modestos Pogiatzis, appointed in 2019 to examine allegations of abusive behaviour by Stylianos’s father towards his wife and son, also investigated Arnaoutis’s role in the case.
Arnaoutis served as commander of Pera Chorion police station between January 2012 and June 2013. During that period, at least four complaints were made to the station by Stylianos’s mother against her husband.
The investigators concluded that potential liability arose against Arnaoutis in connection with a specific complaint made at the station on March 11, 2013, in which Stylianos’s mother reported that her husband had pushed and slapped her. According to the investigators, that complaint should have been investigated by the station on its own initiative, on the basis of a 2007 circular issued by the then Police Chief on domestic violence incidents.
In their report, transmitted to the Attorney General on December 1, 2020, Andreou and Pogiatzis said there was a possible case to answer for neglect of duty under article 134 of the criminal code against Arnaoutis. Article 134 provides that a public officer who wilfully neglects to perform a duty required by law is guilty of a misdemeanour.
Defence lawyer Viktoras Akamas indicated at Tuesday’s hearing that the Attorney General decided not to bring any prosecution against Arnaoutis. The investigators had been appointed on November 14, 2019 by the then head of the Law Office, Costas Klerides. The case was eventually filed in 2021 by the current Attorney General, Giorgos Savvides.
When Andreou gave evidence on Tuesday and was cross-examined by Akamas, he testified under oath that the investigators had recommended prosecution of a total of 15 police officers. Only one of those officers faces charges in the case — a 58-year-old police sergeant.
During his investigative deposition on September 21, 2020, Arnaoutis chose not to respond to the 31 questions put to him, which related to six offences under investigation. He responded only to the 32nd question — “Do you wish to say anything about what you were asked, or anything you were not asked?” — in which he denied any responsibility without making direct reference to the incident for which the investigators had found potential liability, despite his having undisputed knowledge of it, according to philenews’s report.
In his response, Arnaoutis stated: “In the caution administered to me, there is no reference anywhere to the specific criminal case under investigation, no reference to the person who died, and no reference to any dates for the possible commission of criminal offences. From the entries in the complaints and incidents log with serial numbers 241/05/13 and 254/05/13, I understood that you are referring to the case with Stylianos K. as complainant against his father D… K… These two entries are connected in that, on the night of May 13, 2013, M… K…, Stylianos’s mother, reported the disappearance of her son, who was subsequently located and the matter was handled by members of the station and other police services. Entry 254/05/13 refers to a complaint made by M… K… against her husband D… K… that he had attacked and struck their son Stylianos in her presence. As soon as I was informed of the matter I gave clear instructions to Sgt (…) G… I… to investigate the case, even though M… K…, Stylianos’s mother, was not giving her consent for a video-recorded statement to be taken from her son as required by the instructions for such cases. All entries relating to this specific incident are very clear. A criminal case was registered with reference Pera Chorion M’ 19/2013 and the case was brought before Nicosia District Court under case number 22873/13. Based on information I have from Pera Chorion police station, D… K… was convicted on December 3, 2014 and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment suspended for three years. As far as I am aware, until June 2013 when I was station commander, that was the first and last complaint made against D… K… for an attack on his son Stylianos. Because you put many questions to me about my actions in connection with the possible suicide of Stylianos K…, I state that both I and the members of the station took all necessary steps for criminal prosecution of D… K…, despite the refusal of M… K…, Stylianos’s mother, to give her consent for a video-recorded statement to be taken from Stylianos. On the basis of the foregoing, my position is that at least for the period I was station commander at Pera Chorion police station between January 2012 and June 2013, the only complaint made in connection with an attack on Stylianos was fully investigated, observing all procedures, resulting in D… K…, Stylianos’s father, being convicted by the court, even though M… K…, Stylianos’s mother, after the initial complaint maintained a completely negative stance and did not cooperate with members of Pera Chorion station. The above reflects reality and I categorically deny anything else that is general and vague in connection with the death of Stylianos K…”
Two separate cases have been filed in connection with Stylianos’s death. In one, the police officer faces a charge of neglect of duty.
In the other, nine people face charges: Stylianos’s 55-year-old father, charged with physical and psychological violence; his 48-year-old mother, charged with failing to report acts of violence; and seven Social Welfare Services officers, charged with neglect of duty.
Two of the welfare officers pleaded guilty and received suspended prison sentences on May 15, 2026.