Filenews 27 April 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
After this year's problems with the labratzies and the fact that lives and property were in danger, the Chief of Police and the leadership of the Corps are particularly concerned about the continuation of this custom.
In fact, the Chief Stelios Papatheodorou is oriented in the coming period to propose to the Ministry of Justice the institutionalization by law of lambratzia, so that those that will be organized will be with permission from the local authorities. "F" contacted police spokesman Christos Andreou, who stated that after this year's events where a vehicle was burned by the custom of labratzia, damages were caused or property was endangered and generally there was the usual disorder with young people lighting fires where they wanted without precautionary measures, the Police intend to recommend that the custom be placed under a legal umbrella, where the local authorities will grant permission to organized groups for the lighting of lambratzia, under special conditions.
That is, not to be near residential areas, to take precautions, to be organized and supervised so that in case something goes wrong, there is an immediate response to extinguish the fire. In cases where wood will be gathered for lighting lambratzia and no permission has been given by the competent authority, added Mr. Andreou, then the municipality or the community authority will intervene to nip the labratzia in the bud. According to him, labratzies are the place that gives birth to other illegalities, since young people gather and engage in the custom of crackers, with the dangers increasing.
Regarding the police's assessment of the dangerous customs due to Easter, Mr. Andreou pointed out that there were serious injuries again this year, arrests were made, thousands of firecrackers were seized and generally the Police were on standby throughout the holidays. According to the Police spokesman, since the beginning of the year, 11,500 pyrotechnic articles have been seized with more than 5,000 firecrackers, while a total of 97 persons have been arrested nationwide. Most cases concern young people aged 19-22, while some cases also concern people aged 44-65. In four cases, underage persons as young as 11 to 13 years old were found holding firecrackers."
The toll this year due to crackers was the injury of five people. Two young men lost fingers, two others from the explosion or fire burned their skin, while in the case of a 24-year-old from Mesana, Paphos, he was injured by a cracker fragment in the eye while he was in the church. The young man received first aid and was released. In one case, as Mr. Andreou pointed out, youths in Larnaca attacked with stones a fire truck that went to a specific point to respond to a fire and with the intervention of the Police a person was handcuffed.
