Filenews 16 July 2022 - by Natasha Christoforou
They were shocked and outraged by what was heard before the Larnaca District Court, to which the 43-year-old Greek Cypriot suspect was taken for the beating of a 29-year-old woman from Congo, who had her eleven-month-old baby girl in his arms, on Wednesday afternoon in the area of the port of Larnaca. In addition to the video of the heinous acts of the perpetrator, the Police have in their hands testimony that states that the suspect, not only beat the 29-year-old, but threatened to kill her and her child.
The preliminary investigation into the savage attack on the mother, in fact, confirmed the information about racist behaviour by the perpetrator. The 43-year-old suspect faces four offences related to the law on racism and xenophobia, assault with actual bodily harm (law on violence against women), threat and public insult.
The 29-year-old, who is an asylum seeker, complained to the police that she had bought last week from the suspect a BMW car, paying €900. The car, she said, was transferred to a mechanic in Paralimni, who told her that it has many mechanical problems. That is why, she added, she went to the suspect's place of residence in order to arrange to hand over the vehicle to him and return her money to her.
When the complainant asked the suspect to reimburse her the sum of €920 euros, according to what was said in Court, the suspect in a racist tone shouted at her various expressions in English as to her ethnic origin and among other things told her, "this is my country and I will do whatever I want". The suspect then allegedly came down from the apartment building where he lives and after insulting her he kicked her in the back and punched her, whilst she had her infant in her arms.
In her testimony, her compatriot, who recorded the incident on video, said that she heard the suspect threatening the 29-year-old, that if she does not leave the place he will kill her and her infant.
The 43-year-old, through his lawyer, claimed that the woman was in the area for four hours, yelling at him and that when he called the Police, to come, they did not respond.
"F" chatted with the young woman from Congo, who recorded with her mobile phone the video that caused an uproar. "I didn't know who the girl was. My roommates and I were asleep and heard voices. We went out, saw what happened and I recorded it. She had the baby in her arms and he beat her. It was very tough."
A second Nigerian migrant, who lives in an apartment in the area, said he heard the girl yelling, went out and then saw the assailant come down in exasperation. "First he grabbed her by the neck. Then he hit her and she sat on the ground, I believe to protect her child. An African came and asked him what was happening and began to chase him. Then he hit the girl again."
