Controversial MP wades in as sex ed row rumbles on

Independent and somewhat controversial MP Andreas Themistocleous has launched another complaint against the head of the Foni children’s rights NGO Anastasia Papadopoulou saying that people, who believe that she cares for children are going to be sorry.

In his attack over recent publications about the approval of sexual education, Themistocleous posted on social media on Monday evening saying: “Her children are hers and she can do whatever she wants with them.”

He said that he didn’t want to have a say in sexual education of anybody else’s children.

On Monday, a breakdown of the curriculum for the sexual education course was released, which Papadopoulou commented on, inciting the MP to launch social media attacks.

Papadopoulou said the specific material has been taught in schools for over 10 years, since the unit of sexual education was included in timetables at primary and secondary schools.

The material in question, which has been prepared since 2011, is not going to change, she added, clarifying that the only difference brought by the new legislation is that this education will be also included in high schools and technical schools.

Commenting on people complaining the sexual education class will teach children to be gay, she said: “We do not teach homosexuality, we teach acceptance.”

Themistocleous has been attacking Papadopoulou for the past week, since the curriculum was approved.

Last week he questioned why she should have any say in what is taught is sexual education as the head of an NGO and not holding a civil service position.

“Is it just because she has the name Papadopoulou?”

She is the sister of Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos and Nicosia mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis.

Themistocleous angrily posted about comments she had made about the sexual education courses. “On our children regarding these issues, we are the only ones that have a say,” he said.

Pointing at Papadopoulou, he said: “This is what we were missing now that every random and hapless person [Papadopoulou] has the fascist and Stalinist demand that we hand over our children to her to educate them sexually, with the excuse that she will protect them better than we who gave birth to them, who with sacrifices, tears and anguish raised them, making the responsibility for whatever happens to them entirely and solely ours.”

He called on parents to file lawsuits against the government over the matter of sexual education. “We should make mass appeals to courts to protect our children from every illegitimate Papadopoulou.”

Themistocleous is known for his tirades against fellow MPs and others regarding sexual education and LGBT+ rights.

At the start of the month, police launched an investigation into whether he had committed a criminal offence after he made abusive social media remarks which the House ethics committee said it was not authorised to examine.

Greens MP Alexandra Attalides gave a statement to the police at the beginning of June as part of the investigation into Themistocleous’ attack against her.

Themistocleous had written on Facebook “it looks like the three blacks never showed up” in reference to Attalides’ past allegations that she was receiving threatening messages, among them one saying they would “send three blacks to take care of you”.

His post cited a December article when the Greens MP said she was attacked over her support for LGBTQ+ rights among other policies.