Fifteen-month prison sentence handed to woman who fatally ran over child

Paphos District Court on Wednesday imposed a 15-month prison sentence to a 74-year-old woman for causing the death of a 10-year-old schoolgirl.

According to police spokesman Michalis Nikolaou, the 74-year-old woman, caused death by gross negligence, and was sentenced to punishment of 15 months in prison, stripped of her driver’s license for 24 months and eight penalty points.

The court took into account the admonition of her defence counsel that the 74-year-old realised the seriousness of the offence.

The woman was found guilty in June 2023 after a hearing, on the charge of reckless or dangerous act to which she pleaded not guilty. The other charge, to which the 74-year-old woman pleaded guilty, concerns driving a motor vehicle with an expired driver’s license.

The victim was the ten-year-old Nelina Fakliska, who attended the Pefkios Georgiadis primary school. The ten-year-old attempted to cross Tassos Papadopoulos Avenue at noon on November 22, 2019, when she was dragged by the 74-year-old’s vehicle, resulting in fatal injuries.