Cross examination of a former nursery schoolteacher continued on Friday in the Nicosia district court trial surrounding the suicide of 14-year-old Stylianos Constantinou, with defence lawyers repeatedly challenging the basis of her evidence.

The hearing centred on testimony from the teacher, who taught Stylianos during the 2009 to 2010 school year, as defence lawyer Constantinos Kazantzis, representing the boy’s father, questioned her regarding allegations of domestic violence and her own assessment of the child’s behaviour.

The witness accepted that she had no firsthand knowledge of alleged incidents within the family home and said much of what she knew came from colleagues or information passed to the school.

When asked about reports that Stylianos had witnessed threats at home, she replied, “Stylianos himself had not told me that he was present. My colleagues had simply told me that he was present at incidents of threats.”

Questioned about alleged complaints made to police, she repeatedly told the court, “I can’t know exactly what happened. I’m only relaying what I was told.”

The defence also challenged her evidence that Stylianos displayed behavioural problems beyond an attention deficit disorder.

The teacher maintained there was “a noticeable difference between a lively child and a child who presents additional difficulties” and said she believed he was emotionally overwhelmed and unable to express what he was experiencing.

When the defence retorted that “we’re not here to express such opinions,” the witness responded, “I stand by my position.”

Lawyers also questioned her account of an incident in which Stylianos brought a knife to school.

The defence suggested her description was inconsistent because she had continued supervising other pupils before removing the knife.

The teacher said she had been welcoming children into the classroom and safely took the knife away without anyone being harmed.

The witness also acknowledged she could not personally verify claims of domestic violence.

Proceedings ended with a direct exchange over statements Stylianos had allegedly made about his mother.

Defence counsel argued the accounts “do not correspond to reality”.

The witness replied, “from what I knew, from the information I had and from what had been reported, I have no reason to believe that they were false.”

When the lawyer suggested she disagreed with the defence position, she answered, “well of course, you have your own position and I have mine.”

The trial follows several days of evidence from the same witness, who previously described Stylianos’ behaviour at nursery, including incidents in which she said he brought a knife to school, threatened other children and displayed aggressive behaviour.

Earlier hearings also heard emotional testimony as the teacher rejected suggestions she had exaggerated her account.

The proceedings will continue on Monday with cross examination by counsel representing Stylianos’ mother.

The court is examining alleged abuse and neglect within the family, as well as whether state services responded adequately to warning signs before the boy’s death in 2019.