A NUMBER of people have come to the defence of women’s support centre and shelter Apanemi after Sunday’s report that it was facing prosecution by the state
The Cyprus Mail received several emails from women who were at some point victims of domestic abuse. To them, it seemed unfathomable that the only person who opened her doors to them – Apanemi founder Julia Kalimeri – was being prosecuted by the state.
In fact, they too are willing to testify about the “persecution” Apanemi claims to have been subjected to by the state – something they experienced first hand.
Readers may remember the story of ‘Hannah’, an eight-year-old girl whose father was charged with sexually abusing her nearly four years ago. The charges were dropped earlier this year in a case that has seen the mother face a separate prosecution for failing to allow access to the father – who was still a suspect at the time.
Contacting us last September, Hannah’s mum Maria was at the end of her tether. In her daughter’s four-year ordeal, she had had to face resistance by the police, courts, social services (though to a lesser extent) and society in general.
Only one person had been by their side through the ordeal: Julia Kalimeri. “The only person who has offered us support through this and who has fought to get our case heard is Julia. I don’t know what we would’ve done without her. I think I would’ve gone mad.”
The Cyprus Mail yesterday also received a letter from a lady who wished to remain anonymous. In it, she expressed her sadness and disbelief that Kalimeri was being prosecuted.
“For nine years I was a victim of domestic violence,” the letter read.
Through the years, the abuse victim sought help from the police, Welfare Office and private organisations, from whom she received nothing.
“It was only when I approached Apanemi – and with extreme resistance from the police – that it was possible to access a court protection order, free legal advice (that none of the aforementioned services told me I was entitled to) and start a court hearing for my case,” she added.
Furthermore, Apanemi helped this lady and other women in her town to access a vocational training programme for acquiring skills to improve their professional lives.
“It’s with great sorrow I see that Apanemi and Julia Kalimeri are being prosecuted, while they were the only ones that managed to effectively protect and help me and my family,” the letter concluded.
Police confirmed last Friday that Kalimeri was facing 21 separate charges of fraud, maintaining fake accounts and false pretentions.
But this decision was reached after a 16-month investigation into the centre’s accounts, which were confiscated after police raided Kalimeri’s home.
Either way, Kalimeri – who herself is in considerable debt after trying to run the centre and its shelter without state aid – is determined to stand in the witness box and “prove the ridiculousness of the charges”.
