BY MICHALIS HATZIVASILIS
The number of cases of violence in the stadiums reached 22 this year as well as last year, with the decrees banning the fans involved in them increasing year by year.
According to data from the Police, for the 22 cases, 51 arrests of fans were made, while 41 decrees were issued by courts to ban fans from sports venues. Also, 16 members of the Police were injured and had to be transported to the hospital. Following instructions from the Chief of Police, cases of this nature are immediately registered in the courts.
In 2016, the Police investigated 21 cases of violence in the stadiums for which 37 fans were arrested, while 17 of them were excluded from sports venues by court decrees. A total of 24 police officers were injured. For the football year 2015 - 2016, 37 cases related to the law on violence in stadiums were investigated, for which 78 fans were arrested, while courts issued 77 decrees banning fans from sports events. Also, 23 police officers were injured.
The last episodes this year were provoked in last Saturday's football match between the teams Olympiakos - Nea Salamina, when Salamis fans challenged, according to the Police, members of the anti-riot team of Nicosia.
The Police, according to its officer, acted in this case as in any similar situation, showing zero tolerance in cases of violence and without any discrimination. Regarding allegations of anonymity of police officers who wear helmets, the Police told us that there is a number on the helmet of each police officer and it corresponds to his name, which is registered in a relevant register.
This was decided by the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police after it had previously investigated a complaint about the use of force by police officers in the GSP and while it was found that they were responsible, they could not be prosecuted because they did not wear insignia. Since then it has been decided to wear a special number on their helmet for identification.
** File photo
Source: goal.com.cy