Seven times life sentence for serial killers in Cyprus | Currently Europe | '
The series of murders unprecedented for Cyprus has caused a scandal on the Mediterranean island in recent months: over the past three years, a Greek Cypriot soldier has allegedly kidnapped and killed five women and two of their daughters from Romania, Nepal and the Philippines.
Now the man confessed his actions in court. He asked near tears for apology. He had committed "heinous crimes" and no explanation, added the 35-year-old. The judges condemned him for deliberate murder of "defenseless" women to seven times life imprisonment.
Only two weeks earlier, the police had discovered the seventh body. Divers found them in a suitcase that had been sunk in a quarry pond. The other victims were also gradually found in dredging lakes and wells. The first body had been discovered by tourists in April after heavy rains at a abandoned ore pit. Four days later, the now convicted soldier was arrested. He then gave the investigators the places where he had disposed of the other victims. The authorities assume that he did not kill any more people.
Did the police abduct racism investigations?
Because the killings have long remained unclear, even though the foreign victims were reported missing, the authorities are accused of sloppiness and racism. The scandal led to the dismissal of police chief Zacharias Chrysostomou and the resignation of Justice Minister Ionas Nikolaou. President Nikos Anastasiades publicly criticized the police for "obvious negligence and breach of duty".
Filipino women at a rally for the murder victims in late April
The government in Nicosia announced that it would pay for the burial costs for the seven murder victims. President Anastasiades also said he wanted to better protect the rights of foreign workers in Cyprus. Especially in agriculture and private households, Cyprus employs a large workforce from Asia and Romania. The aid organization Kisa said the lack of investigation into missing persons' cases reflects the way in which foreign women are treated in general in the public administration of Cyprus.
ie / gri (afp, dpa)
ليست هناك تعليقات