Student hit with frying pan, teacher says it was an accident

Police are investigating a case of grievous bodily harm after a 16-year-old male student reported that he was injured by a frying pan his cooking instructor allegedly hit him with during class.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in a Limassol technical school during cooking class where the teacher, according to the student’s complaint, hit him on the mouth with the pan, chipping a tooth. The student was taken to hospital where he had stiches to his lips.

According to Limassol police spokesman, Ioannis Soteriades, the teacher, who was called in for questioning, said that it was an accident and he didn’t mean to hit the student.

Following an investigation, the teen’s classmates told the police that the teacher in question was very popular among students due to his pleasant demeanour.

Before the incident occurred, there had been a commotion in the class, and the teacher touched the student on the shoulder to quiet him down, Soteriades said. He lifted up the frying pan in a joking fashion and somehow hit the student with it.

The student, Soteriades said, admitted that the teacher was very popular, but that he took the move as a threat.

The teacher was charged with causing grievous bodily harm. Police continue taking testimonies and after the investigation work is completed, the file will be sent to the attorney general’s office for instructions as to how to proceed.