When to use the present or the past perfect tense?

Solution 1:

Someone said - "if the situation is still relevant and the results of it can be seen, heard or felt then the present perfect tenses are not back shifted to past perfect tenses." And this was all about indirect speech, and I totally agree with what was said.

That is an obsolete and incorrect rule or explanation. A more practical and effective rule is that you use the present perfect when you are speaking in general and not referring to a particular event/ action, this is clear in the negative, you say: "I haven't been to Rome" and don't say: "I was not in Rome", for example:

"Social worker said he has never seen someone as resistant to “engagement with clinical staff” as Varlamova

And less clear in the positive since you may say : "I've been to Rome" , "I was in Rome (last week/year) on business", "I went to Rome (last week/year) to see my parents"

You can see that how distant from the present, how relevant to the present the action/event/ situation is, it is not important in order to decide the right tense, even in direct speech. In reported speech the same principle applies:

• "Kulkarni said he has learnt a lot from the likes of Shaun Pollock and Shane Watson"
• "Grower Daniel Tabone said he has watched the price of fresh limes drop since he started growing in 2002 and he wanted to diversify".
• " He said he has been watching Ravens Steelers since he was a little kid. "

In the first example you probably might also use 'had'. But if you refer to a specific event that happened before the time you are speaking:

• " A defence solicitor said he had been at a cousin's birthday and said he did not have much to drink"
• "50 Year Old Man Said He Had $ex With His Unconscious Neighbour In Order To Save Her Life!"
• "Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said he had visited the heads of Tesla Motors and Apple during a recent .."

The rule applies to all kind of sentences:

• He noticed that he (has) had finished painting the house.
• The president learned that the earthquake (has) had caused havoc across the country.
• I realized that he (has) had left his wallet.
• It was unclear (that) wether she (has) had painted the door