AFTER admitting she was being prostituted by her mother and older sister, a 14-year-old girl was yesterday taken into care by the Social Services.
Five people were arrested in connection with the case, four of which were remanded in police custody. Limassol police arrested the girl’s 54-year-old mother, her 19-year-old sister and three men aged 71, 60 and 38 over Monday night. The two women and two of the men were yesterday remanded in custody after a court hearing.
The five were questioned in connection with the sexual exploitation of a minor for profit, pimping, earning a living from prostitution, corrupting a female aged 13-14, conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour and a homeowner partaking to corrupt a woman under 18 on his premises. The crimes allegedly took place from 2004 until January 2006 in the Limassol district, police said.
The case came to light after Social Services filed a complaint with police, which said the 14-year-old came into sexual contact with elderly individuals, a fact her mother was fully aware of.
Immediately following the charge, Limassol CID questioned the two sisters, during which the elder one said her mother had introduced her to four men with whom she had had sexual intercourse for money; a portion of which she then gave to her mother.
Eighteen months ago, the 19-year-old told police she had worked at two Limassol pubs, owned by the 60-year-old and his 38-year-old son, where she had sexual intercourse with customers for a fee. A portion of this money was given to both her employers and her share was split with her mother, said police.
The girl then said three months ago she had taken various clients to her 14-year-old sister, one of whom was the 71-year-old man, with whom the younger girl had had sex for money. Police said the 14-year-old also admitted her mother and sister had set up meetings between her and men for paid sex and that she gave a portion of her earnings to her mother.
Limassol CID head Nikos Sophocleous said: “Under questioning the minor admitted she had been with certain individuals for money, which she shared with her mother. Under questioning her sister, an adult, admitted to the same offences and said at her mother’s urging she had had sex with specific clients. She then found a job at two specific pubs where the owners encouraged her to go out with customers for money; money which she then shared with her mother.”
Sophocleous added the girls’ mother allegedly admitted she took money from her daughters but claims she did not know it had been obtained from prostitution.
A Limassol court yesterday remanded the two adult women for eight days and the 60-year-old and 38-year-old men for six. The 71-year-old man was held for 24-hours, charged in writing and released.
The 14-year-old and a younger sibling are currently in the care of social services. The children’s parents are divorced and their father lives abroad.
The minor was examined by state pathologist Eleni Antoniou yesterday morning who confirmed she had been sexually active.
Limassol Social Services head Zoe Adamidou said the two children were being cared for and that the 14-year-old would receive multifaceted specialist care, including psychological support. She also said in cases like this, the victims struggled to develop normally with problems developing in adulthood, including difficulty in forming relationships.
Limassol CID is investigating the case.
