Leaked information from the Police’s internal proceedings so far, along with details that have already come to light, shed some light on the tragedy that unfolded on Friday morning in Tremithousa, Paphos.
Preliminary examinations by the police into potential negligence by its members provide a relatively clear picture of the situation at the Central Police Station of Paphos and how they handled the repeated phone calls from a citizen reporting sounds of violence coming from the apartment where the 41-year-old lost her life, leaving behind two minors.
According to our sources, the officer who answered those calls and has since been suspended was not scheduled to be on duty at the station’s call centre.
That duty had been assigned to a colleague, who was experienced in handling the message control room. However, she had (justifiably, as it seems) requested a brief respite, during which her colleague assumed her duties and fatefully became the officer to manage this incident.
From the preliminary investigations thus far, the following has been ascertained regarding the four phone calls:
- At 09:59, he allegedly received the first call from a citizen reporting a potential case of domestic violence. The officer forwarded the call to the department handling such cases. However, the officer on duty there was in court attending to another matter.
- The same citizen called again at 10:01. The same officer answered and this time forwarded the call to the minor offences department. Once more, there was no response as the officers were reportedly attending to a different incident.
- The third call was made two minutes later, at 10:03. The officer answered and connected the caller to the mobile phone of the local neighbourhood officer. Again, there was no response.
- The fourth and final call was made at 10:05. The officer answered again without providing any update to the citizen on the handling of the incident. From the Police’s preliminary internal investigation, it appears that at this point, the officer who had replaced his colleague in the call centre was preparing to attend the scene himself, along with another colleague from the rapid response unit. However, no explanation was given to the caller.
It should be noted that yesterday, the president of the trade union Isotita (Equality), Nikos Loizides, stated during a television programme on ANT1 that “the officer who took the call was the first to arrive at the scene.”
Disciplinary investigation
Questions have been raised about the officer’s handling of the incident and whether any superiors bear responsibility.
At the same time, police patrols had been instructed to attend to areas affected by the massive wildfire that broke out earlier last week.
All these questions are expected to be answered by the ongoing disciplinary investigation, ordered by the Chief of Police, Stelios Papatheodorou, and demanded by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis.
As Police Spokesperson Christos Andreou stated yesterday, the Police leadership had immediately instructed a preliminary investigation and later ordered a disciplinary investigation, which is being conducted by an officer from the Limassol Police Headquarters.
This inquiry involves seven members of the force, two of whom have been suspended: the officer who answered the calls and a sergeant who was acting as the duty officer in the control room.
Andreou mentioned that there are directives for the disciplinary investigation to be completed as soon as possible. He noted that, per regulations, such an investigation should be concluded within a month, but he reiterated that the instructions are for it to be expedited.
Examinations and testimonies are currently being collected from all involved parties.
The investigations, as per the directives, are twofold.
One aspect concerns the handling of the citizen’s phone calls by the Police members, while the other pertains to a complaint made by the victim on June 11 against her estranged husband.
On that date, an arrest warrant had been issued. As Andreou explained, the aim is to ascertain the actions taken or not taken by the investigating officer following that complaint.
48-year-old suspect hospitalised
The 48-year-old suspect, who has been remanded in custody for eight days in connection with the murder, was transferred to Athalassa Mental Health Hospital yesterday, shortly after being discharged from Paphos General Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment.
It is worth noting that the suspect has not confessed to the crime. He claimed that the victim had visited him at his home on Friday morning to discuss their issues. During this meeting, according to his account, the 41-year-old asked him for money to withdraw her complaint, which he refused, leading to a heated argument. The 48-year-old contends that he was first attacked by the victim and that he then lost consciousness, with no recollection of subsequent events.
History of domestic violence since 2019
The 48-year-old, who was arrested on suspicion of killing his estranged wife, had a history of run-ins with the authorities, as evidenced by the following information officially provided by the Police:
- The 48-year-old and the 41-year-old had been living separately since 2023.
- In 2019, a complaint was filed against the suspect for domestic violence, leading to a court case scheduled for 2020. However, the case was withdrawn following a sworn statement by the victim.
- On March 17, 2024, the Police were involved in another incident. However, the victim did not want to make a written complaint. Nevertheless, a criminal file was created, but no instructions were given for further action. It appears that it was not forwarded to the Attorney General.
- The most recent incident occurred last week, on June 11, 2024, when an arrest warrant was issued for the 48-year-old. However, he was not located, even though the victim lost her life in the suspect’s apartment. This raises questions about why he was not found. The Police have stated that, in collaboration with the Social Welfare Services, they had suggested that the victim stay in a shelter until the suspect was apprehended, but “the complainant did not wish to do so and remained at her residence.”
Understaffing concerns
The issue of Police understaffing has also entered the public discourse.
This is evident from statements made yesterday by the president of the police trade union Isotita (Equality), Nikos Loizides.
It is worth noting that, according to information obtained by Phileleftheros at the beginning of this month, the Police leadership had instructed the termination of certain special duties to free up personnel.
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