PARALIMNI: What is the response of the Police to a complaint for the issuance of a fine to a person with a mental disability

The case was referred to the Complaints Examination Committee, in which a police officer fined a young woman with a mild mental disability, as she walked around without sending a text message, as provided by the decrees to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The issue of the young woman's complaint, which was highlighted today by the newspaper "O Phileleftheros", occupied a meeting of the Famagusta Police Director with her girlfriend and sister, who had posted about the issue on Social Media.

As Christos Andreou, a spokesman for the Police Headquarters, told KYPE, "the member of the Police stopped yesterday for a check-up of a young girl, who, however, did not seem to have any problems. Specifically, the policeman asked the girl to see the message he sent to circulate, she replied that he had not sent it, the member of the Force stated that he was committing a crime and fined her for violating the pandemic restriction measures ".

He added that "the girl received the out-of-court settlement and left, while then we saw a post on Social Media about the incident by a relative. We responded immediately as soon as the post was noticed in MKD and the Famagusta Police Director called the two girls to his office to give explanations ".

However, Mr. Andreou noted "during the police officer's brief conversation with the complainant, no incident took place on her part or she suffered a panic attack. Also, the conversation was not long enough for the police officer to realize that the girl was facing any problem, but the young woman herself did not mention anything to him either ".

He also noted that "we asked the girl as in all similar cases, in case she had any issue, to prepare a letter. The girl made the letter today and it will be sent to the Complaints Examination Committee for Disinfection issues, in order for the Legal Service to study whether her non-criminal prosecution is justified ".

As Mr. Andreou explained, "the specific Committee was established from the first moment that the measures for the Dehydration were taken. "Those who are complained to by the Police are written to the Commission and consider that the complaint against them was made unfairly, or that there was too much severity, or they believe that under the circumstances that were reported they should not be taken to court."

Information from KYPE states that "the sister of the girl who posted in MKD in such a critical way, when she realized that the police officer had not understood that she was a girl with a slight mental disability, regretted and withdrew the post. In fact, the girl had mentioned in her post that her sister, when the police stopped her to check on her, "was terrified and had a panic attack".

Source: KYPE