“The police can now hurt us and get away with it’

THE CYPRIOT public yesterday said they had lost their faith for the justice system, and feel that they are no longer safe, nor can they trust the police any more.

“I feel appalled over the court’s decision to acquit those criminals. How do you trust a government who lets criminals walk free? Now we have to fear the police because they can hurt us and get away with it” said 35-year-old Nikolas.

Charalambos, a 45-year-old bank official said: “I think it heralds a real crisis, people already did not trust the police now they have a reason not to. It’s disgusting”.

“So if I am attacked by a police officer, even if I have it on tape and even if I have witnesses, at the end of the day, it’s my work against theirs. Wow…that makes me feel really safe!” Skevi, a 43-year-old nurse said.

“No wonder the man who filmed the beating was afraid to come forward and testify. We are living in a corrupt third-world country!” said Areti, a 27-year-old PhD student.

Antonis, a 46-year-old café owner said: “First they help Kitas escape and get away with it, now they get away with beating up innocent kids. What is this state coming to?”

19-year-old soldier Thomas Stylianou said: “Now that police officers see what they can get away with, we can only imagine what more they will do”

Demetris Stergiou, a 24-year-old art student added: “I have lost all faith in our justice system. The police is supposed to protect us, so who is going to protect us from the police?”

“The police are constantly complaining that everybody has it in for them, and they wonder why? Abuse of power makes me sick” Stavros, a 56-year-old government official said.

A 26-year-old law student, Maria Angelidou said: “The ten cops will now go back to work, get their compensation for the time they were suspended and what will the two guys get? We are in urgent need to upgrade our outdated judiciary system that dates back to colonial times”