Greek Cypriot police investigating murder of three-month-old baby; Pakistani father and Greek mother arrested

Investigators from the Cyprus’s (south) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were left stunned by the results of an autopsy on a 3.5 month old girl, who died in Nicosial earlier this week, with findings indicating systematic abuse. 

Forensic pathologists Angeliki Papetta and Orthodoxos Orthodoxou reported that the baby, whose death has prompted a homicide investigation, showed signs of severe neglect. The autopsy revealed skin marks consistent with insect bites.

The baby was found to be underweight and malnourished, with her nappy unchanged for an extended period, leaving rashes on the body. Her living conditions were described as deplorable, with no milk or nappies available in the home, shared by the couple with five workers.

The investigation began last Sunday when the infant was brought to Nicosia General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, where her death was confirmed.

Initially, Lakatamia Police handled the case before the CID took over.

The father, a 23-year-old Pakistani, initially claimed the baby’s mother, a Greek national, had abandoned them two days earlier. However, an initial investigation established that she had left the residence on the day of the baby’s death.

Witnesses reported she had allegedly told her partner she was flying to Thessaloniki for work.

The baby was never registered at birth, and the family’s living conditions were deemed as clearly unfit for both baby and parents.

On Sunday August 4, the 21-year-old mother was brought before the Nicosia District Court following her arrest late Saturday night upon her return to Cyprus. The court ordered that she be held in detention for eight days as the investigation continues.

On Tuesday, she was evaluated by a government psychiatrist as part of the case which is being investigated as a possible homicide.