Nicosia District Court rejects motion regarding indictment multiplicity in Stylianos Constantinou case

The Nicosia District Court has dismissed an objection raised by the defense counsel for the fourth defendant, a social welfare officer, in the case concerning the death of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou in September 2019. Defense lawyer Constantinos Nikolaidis argued that charges 183 through 191, related to neglect of official duty under Article 134 of the Penal Code, were duplicative and created confusion for the defense. He contended that the charges violated the principle of double jeopardy and rendered the indictment fundamentally flawed. In response, prosecutor Eleni Constantinou argued that the charges reflect distinct acts or omissions rather than multiple counts for the same offense. The court sided with the prosecution, ruling that each count pertains to a specific failure to act rather than a repetitive allegation. The legal proceedings continue as the court maintains the validity of the current indictment structure.