Cypriot assailants sentenced in Greece

Three men who beat up three Cypriots holidaying in Thessaloniki more than five years ago have been sentenced to 36 months in jail, suspended for three years, Greek media reported on Saturday.

But the victims said more men participated in the attack, which resulted in their hospitalisation, however no CCTV material was collected by Greek police.

The incident took place on February 18, 2018 at a night club in the Ladadika neighborhood, a popular entertainment hub. Three couples from Cyprus went there to celebrate an engagement, when around 3am they were attacked by a group of about seven people.

According to their testimonies, it all started when one of them accidentally kicked a garbage bin in the toilets which aggravated a muscular man who was there. The man testified that he was very drunk when that happened.

The assaulters repeatedly punched and kicked the three men inside and outside the club, while the court heard one of them also used a stool.

One of the victims said he had to undergo two surgeries on his leg which was broken as a result of the attack, while another said he cannot enjoy going to nightclubs anymore because he experiences panic attacks.

The victims’ partners testified in court, saying the night ended in a “nightmare”. One of them said she was yelling and begging the attackers to stop, screaming that they have a child, but was instead pushed away. She said she then fainted after she saw her husband covered in blood continue to be beaten up.

Many months after the attack, only three men were identified as suspects in the case.

However, one of the defence attorneys emphasised several times that the police officers did not collect footage from the security cameras of the nightclub and from the area. The lawyer insisted her client was not even at the nightclub that night, so she then filed an appeal against the decision.