Shocking is the farewell of Anastasia Papadopoulou, to Elena Frantzis, the 29-year-old young woman who “passed away” unexpectedly last Thursday. Elena was from Anthoupolis and from a young age she lived the nightmare.
READ ALSO: Cyprus: 29-year-old Elena (pic) suddenly went out of her house
Characteristic, what Anastasia Papadopoulou writes on her personal facebook account.
"Elena, I apologize to you.
I did not know that yesterday was your funeral. A friend of mine sent me an article about your sudden death and funeral after it was done. A friend of the few who recognized you when she read the news. To be honest, it took me a while to figure out who you were when I read the text. I did not remember your name immediately.
It took me a while to remember. You were Elena.
When you were four years old, the state took you over and placed you in a foster family. There for years, in the only family you met, they systematically abused. Physically from the "mother", sexually from the "father". From the age of four. When every other child determines for himself his relationship with those around him, the interpretation of love, family, security, you only experienced violence, perversion and unnatural exploitation.
You then dared to speak to the welfare office clerk who was in charge of you, you dared to speak out about the abuse. But they did not listen to you. They did not help you. They did not save you.
You dared again 10 years later to break your silence. You were helped by a psychologist to speak. You complained. You forced the process. A process that deeply no one wanted to go through. You did it.
In your 20s, when your peers were enjoying the carelessness of their youth, you stand in the witness chair to tell your story. For the night visits of your "prostate" in your bed, for the pain you felt, for the fluid that then stuck on you. You dared to speak.
Why; so many were asking you. Why after so many years? Because you did it when you knew you were going to turn the whole small community, the only one you knew, against you. Because you wanted to protect the next children who would be placed in that foster family. That was your only purpose. At least you did it.
The trial is difficult and doubtful. Every day you faced the insults and threats from the community that came to defend their "respectable citizen". And yet you stood. And you won. Unfortunately, you won based on an old law that did not allow a sentence of more than 2 years. And that was attributed to him. You also won in the text of the decision where the Court clearly referred to the negligence of the officials of the welfare office to whom you spoke and asked for help when you were still a baby. But you did not get it.
The decision was upheld by the appellate court. The "protector" spent 2 years in prison. When he left, his "boss" judged that he had been unjustly convicted and needed to be reinstated. As it happened.
And you were left alone once again. You had no family. You had nowhere to go since you could not return to the only place you knew, where you grew up. He returned. "For the good of the community and to appease the reaction," the "boss" told me when I raised the issue. And so simply, you were left alone. You paid the price and the abuse once again.
Some stood next to you. They struggled to help you. Your psychologist, lawyers, a few friends, even the current Minister. But you always felt alone. You never managed to stand. You could not keep a job. You could not create relationships. The help unfortunately came too late.
Overwhelmed by nightmares and rejection, loneliness and abuse which now simply took another form, that of intimidation and the reward of injustice, you tried to end your life. More than once. Fortunately we said then, you did not succeed.
Because you felt and knew that no one was really punished. None of those who knew, but did nothing. when needed. No one has claimed responsibility for the crime against you. Yes, one perpetrator went to jail for a very short time. And it came out with more protection and help than you received for your whole life. And of all the others, no one was ever punished. None of the culprits, of those who had undertaken your protection. Nobody even studied it. We said, nobody wanted this process.
And no one ever apologized to you.
I never met you. I knew about you and from time to time various people contacted me to help you. I did what I had to do. We helped you with immediate problems. But I never did anything more than that. I have never seen or encountered the big picture. I did not pursue justice for you as much as I should. And for this negligence of mine, I never apologized to you either.
The "boss" insisted in our discussion that the perpetrator, if guilty, had already received his earthly punishment. And now they have the opportunity to save his soul. I do not know if he does. But I know he has the opportunity. An opportunity that was never given to you.
Because all your earthly presence was a punishment. Because your own soul was killed when you were four years old. He killed her every night's visit to your bed. They killed her every time you asked for help and they did not give it to you. She was killed in the trial where the acquittal came only in the court decision but not in the taking of responsibility. Only in words, but words that never included the word or deed "Sorry".
Your earthly presence was a punishment. I can only hope that at least where you went you will find what you are entitled to. What we all as a society have deprived you of. I can only hope that the peace and love that you never found here, you will find "there". I can only hope that "there" you will be four years old again but no one will come to your bed at night. "There" you will finally be able to be just a child.
Elena, I did not recognize who you were as soon as I read the announcement of your death. I did not come to your funeral. I do not know if others came although I want to hope that some came. That you were not alone there. I did not hear if there was a funeral. I did not hear anyone say that you were an example of courage for all of us. That you spoke and saved the children who would follow you to that foster family.
I did not hear if they said that you endured as much as you could, which was more than we could ever endure. I did not hear if they said that we wronged you. We led you to your grave.
Because we never got you out of the way you were when you were four years old.
I did not hear if we apologized to you.
Elena, I promise you I will never forget your name and who you were.
I will never forget your name which shows me who we are not yet.
Elena, I apologize to you ".
Source: Sigmalive