Chaos prevails at Nicosia Central Prison, after a 28 year-old convict from Bulgaria put an end to his life. This, just hours after the announcement of the new measures decided in a meeting attended by the president of Cyprus himself, Mr. Anastasiades. The man, who was serving 12 years in prison for rape, hung himself in his cell.
The coroners were called on the spot to perform an autopsy and the body of the 28 year-old man was transferred to the General Hospital of Nicosia. This is the fifth suicide in the prison during the past few months.
The suicides are a result of the frequent raping of young prisoners by elder long-term convicts. As it has been disclosed, in the Central Prison of Cyprus, convicts serving long sentences cooperate with the guards who “service” them by bringing young prisoners to their wings — potential rape victims. The long-term convicts use powerful sedatives to curb the reactions of their victims in order to sexually abuse them and the incidents are concealed by their jailers.
Recently, a 22 year-old man from Romania was raped and transferred to hospital. This event seemed to be the catalyst that brought on the fourth and fifth suicide. Yesterday, the convicts rebelled and requested the resignation of the prison’s manager who has been pinpointed as responsible for these actions.
Within the frame of the new measures taken yesterday, the Police Immediate Action Unit (MMAD) took control of the prison. Convicts, according to the time being served, will be segregated accordingly.
Individuals who are detained for financial liabilities will be moved to an open prison. A psychiatric ward will be created for support and care to those people in need and a team of psychiatrists will directly evaluate the psychosomatic state of the prisoners who have already engaged in acts of self-harm. It was also announced that one officer and seven guards were suspended. The suspension of another two guards is imminent.
The Minister of Justice and Public Order of Cyprus, Ionas Nikolaou, stated that the president, Mr. Anastasiades, is determined to put an end to this unacceptable situation prevailing in the Central Prison and to upgrade the penitentiary institution, in order to fully comply with European standards .
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