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Police say they will re-examine the case of a teenager who died over the weekend at a birthday party, following second-hand information about bullying and binge drinking.
(Click here for an update to the story)
Panayiotis Stefanis, a 16-year-old student from Larnaca, died on Sunday after he collapsed outside a residence where he attended a birthday party on Saturday night.
State forensic pathologist Eleni Antoniou, who conducted the post mortem examination, reportedly said she could smell alcohol from the first moment, while she had sent tissue samples to the lab.
Choked on his own vomit
Following his collapse outside the house, an off-duty cop who was already there gave mouth to mouth but to no avail
Panayiotis was said to have choked on his own vomit after a night of binge drinking. Following his collapse outside the house, an off-duty cop who was present attempted to resuscitate the boy by giving mouth to mouth but to no avail.
The teen was then taken to the Emergency Room at Larnaca General Hospital where doctors on duty pronounced him dead on arrival.
Representatives from a parents association took to the media following the incident to raise awareness in an effort to prevent similar tragedies from happening to high schoolers.
But on Wednesday, additional information came forward regarding Panayiotis, with reports saying he was a victim of bullying. The parents group spoke out on the issue and also notified authorities, with police spokesperson Andreas Angelides saying they would re-examine the case.
Angelides acknowledged that police officers were aware of alcohol consumption but clarified that no information of binge drinking was relayed to authorities.
“If such thing is proven to be true, then the whole matter is a lot more serious,” Angelides said.
The police spokesperson also pointed out that parents have been known to supply alcohol to children who go to parties.
“Speaking on general terms, surely you can understand if parents themselves give drinks to their kids, then there is a larger question here about where we are heading as a society,” Angelides added.
