Murdered woman was stabbed 22 times (Update 2)

A woman whose husband is a suspect in her murder and that of one of their sons, sustained 22 stab wounds in the attack, a post-mortem showed on Friday while her 20-year-old son had been stabbed three times.

It also emerged on Friday that the 59-year-old man held in connection with stabbing his wife and son to death had killed an 11-year-old girl when he was 15, police confirmed, as the woman’s family accused the police and welfare services of doing nothing despite calls for assistance as recently as a couple of months ago after the suspect grabbed his son from the throat.

The woman’s sister, Despo Avraxidou, said she found out on Thursday that the suspect had been arrested for murder in August 1976, as she painted a grim picture of life in the household, including shouting and violence on a daily basis.

Avraxidou, who lives next door, was the one who found her sister Androulla, 52 and nephew Stelios Yiangou, 20, on Thursday morning, dead from multiple knife wounds inflicted by the suspect who had fled the scene shortly after almost killing his eldest son too, 25-year-old Charalambos.

The suspect was remanded in custody for eight days on Friday, in a hearing held at Nicosia general hospital.

Before that, he had undergone a psychiatric evaluation, which deemed him fit to follow legal proceedings.

Police on Friday confirmed that the man had stabbed to death his 11-year-old niece in August 1976 in the suburb of Parisinos, in Nicosia.

He spent nine years in a psychiatric hospital but according to Avraxidou, they were unaware of the reason.

She told Cybc in an interview that they thought it was because he was a pyromaniac supposedly.

Avraxidou said from the time he woke up each day, 4am, the fighting, beating, and breaking things started. Then he used to get in his car and drive off.

Before Christmas, around one and half months ago, Stelios showed up with marks on his throat, prompting her to notify police, despite the 20-year-old’s protest, from fear of reprisals.

Avraxidou said the officer at Lakatamia police station said that Stelios or his mother had to give a written statement or else there was nothing they could do.

Police referred her to a child support NGO which could not do anything because of his age.

The force said they went through their records but found no official report concerning the family.

Avraxidou said Stelios lived with her between the ages of four and 14. He had also spent time at a children’s shelter until he was 18.

“They just left them in God’s mercy,” she said of state services. “Unfortunately, police wait for the crime to take place and then act.”

She eventually got through to the welfare services who sent an officer around two weeks later.

The man stayed for 10 minutes, the sister said, and then left. He said he would return at the end of the month. It never happened.

“Everyday Stelios told me he could not stand it, ‘auntie I want to leave, I want to leave’” he used to say.

The welfare services confirmed that the family had been receiving financial support but denied receiving any report regarding the danger.

“No complaint was received regarding violence that included the risk,” the department said in a statement. “Matters of mental health are not within the remit of the social welfare services.”