larnaca home — A 58-year-old man is facing charges after his 79-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia, was discovered locked inside their Larnaca home for several months. The woman endured poor living conditions, prompting neighbours to report hearing her cries for help.
- As the investigation unfolds, the community is left grappling with the implications of the case and the failures in the system that allowed such neglect to persist for so long.
On Wednesday morning, police officers from the Larnaca CID’s Family Violence Unit, aided by the Fire Service, rescued the elderly woman following a passerby’s complaint to Larnaca Police Director Ioannis Sotiriades. Spokesman Spyros Chrysostomou confirmed that the charges against the son will be filed in court promptly.
Larnaca home: Months of Neglect
Residents in the area noted that the woman had been confined to the home since at least July. One neighbour revealed that she had contacted Social Welfare Services days before the rescue, expressing concern for the woman’s wellbeing. Another neighbour mentioned they alerted a local police officer about the mistreatment just a week prior.
“Two years ago she was better and came out a bit into the yard. In recent months we saw her dementia worsen,” said a concerned neighbour. “We don’t know if the woman has food or water. The situation inside and outside the house is terrible.” The neighbour described the home as being overgrown with weeds and in dreadful condition.
Repeated Appeals for Help
Despite multiple reports to authorities about the woman’s situation, neighbours felt that their concerns fell on deaf ears. “It’s unacceptable that nothing was done by Social Welfare Services, who we know were informed,” another resident remarked. “One and a half months ago she was shouting again ‘help, help’ and a neighbour made a complaint and they didn’t do anything.”
Another resident recounted a recent phone call made to Social Welfare Services, urging them to visit the woman. “I told them someone needs to come see her, since all day we hear her shouting for help,” the resident said. “Her son locks her in.”
Police and Social Welfare Services’ Responses
While police records show no recent complaints regarding the woman’s living conditions, there was an investigation into a complaint made two years prior concerning a relative. Police sources stated that Social Welfare Services had been informed at that time.
On their part, Social Welfare Services officials arrived at the scene after the woman was rescued, arranging for her transfer to a care home. Director Maria Kyratzi clarified that they had no official reports about the elderly woman’s mistreatment or living conditions, except for one inquiry on 29 September regarding her admission to a care home.
Kyratzi stated, “The place at the care home where the elderly woman was moved today had been located and practical matters concerning her transfer were underway.” She added that there were no allegations of mistreatment in the information they received, asserting that their priority is the care of vulnerable elderly individuals.
Community Outcry
The incident has sparked outrage among residents who feel that their warnings were ignored. “They told us: ‘without seeing that someone is mistreating her we can’t come to help,’” one resident recounted, highlighting the frustration felt by those who reported the situation. “But everyone hears her shouting for help.”
As the investigation unfolds, the community is left grappling with the implications of the case and the failures in the system that allowed such neglect to persist for so long.
