DISY Deputy Stella Kyriakidou yesterday strongly condemned a Supreme Court decision to overturn the conviction of a man accused of sexually abusing an underage girl.
“It is extremely worrying how victims of sexual abuse are being treated,” said Kyriakidou, who explained that the man had first been found guilty in court of repeatedly molesting the young girl but won an appeal at the Supreme Court to have his sentenced cancelled.
According to the deputy – who worked as a clinical psychologist for the Health Ministry from 1979 until 2003 and at Makarios Hospital’s Child and Teenage Psychiatric ward for 20 years – the child in question had been examined by a social worker, who’s report on the matter was very disturbing.
The Supreme Court based its decision on four reasons, Kyriakidou explained.
One was that it took the young girl two years before she confided in anyone about her ordeal. “Everyone knows that it can take a long time, in many cases more than two years, for a victim of sexual abuse to feel able to trust anybody. This excuse is therefore invalid,” she explained.
Second was that the alleged victim did not show any shame during the two years, but showed it during the court hearing.
The third justification offered for overruling the man’s conviction was that the girl didn’t speak to an adult, but instead chose to speak to her friends. “This is not strange. A victim of such abuse feels more comfortable speaking about her ordeal to people of her own age,” the deputy pointed out. “Children can leave it for years before they feel ready to trust someone and tell them. And it will usually be to a friend.”
The fourth reason given was that in the two years since the girl claimed she was abused, she had a sexual relationship with a boy of her own age.
“Some victims of such abuse react in this way; it is not abnormal,” said Kyriakidou.
“The consequences of this decision is that they are putting the burden of accusation and responsibility on the children by showing that they are not being believed.
I wonder how many sexually abused children will come forward after this.”
