Draconian security for Serdaris trial

65-YEAR-old Larnaca musician George Serdaris yesterday pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of indecent assault against under aged girls that he used to teach.

Procedures at the Larnaca Assizes court were held amid draconian measures designed to protect the identities of the girls, who will testify against Serdaris.

The hearing kicked off with the testimonies of two police photographers, who took pictures of Serdaris’ studio, where the offences are alleged to have taken place over the past three years.

Shortly before noon, the court heard the testimony of the first witness, who was sitting behind a specially made screen to keep her from being seen.

Defence cross-examination of the witness was postponed until today.

Public access to the courtroom has been banned and corridors leading to it have been closed with screens.

Windows were also screened, after court authorities realised witnesses could be seen from outside.

The court has banned any publication of the proceedings and will only issue brief statements for the public.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.