The Nicosia district court has ruled to admit hearsay testimony in the investigation of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou's death in 2019. This decision enables the former preschool teacher, Konstantina Papachristodoulou, to testify next week regarding abuse concerns reportedly shared by the deceased during his early childhood.

The defence opposed the admission of the teacher's account, citing the inability to cross-examine the original speaker. However, prosecutors argued that such evidence is allowable under specific rules, including exceptions related to domestic violence cases. The court emphasized that hearsay evidence is not automatically excluded but should be weighed based on the fairness of the overall trial.

The ruling also considers protections under the European Convention on Human Rights, noting that hearsay alone cannot be the sole decisive evidence, but must be viewed in the context of all evidence and safeguards. The trial continues to explore the circumstances of Stylianos's death and potential lapses by family and state agencies in protecting the child.