A 17-year-old student is in hospital with concussion after being beaten at a secondary school in western Limassol on Friday by a 19-year-old who entered the school looking for him, his mother has told philenews.
He is being treated in the surgical ward of Limassol General Hospital for concussion and a build-up of fluid in his abdomen, which she attributed to kicks and punches from the 19-year-old, the mother said.
An ambulance was called to the school, and police officers attended after being informed by the school’s management, according to the mother. A complaint has been made to police, a statement was later taken from her son in hospital, and officers have begun taking statements from other students who may have witnessed the attack, she said.
According to the mother, the 19-year-old, who is not a student at the school, came onto the premises and asked another student where her son was. When the student did not tell him straight away, the 19-year-old allegedly punched and threatened him, and the student then showed him where her son was.
The 19-year-old found her son with other students and allegedly began beating him, she said. Her son told her he had been hit twice on the head and did not remember anything else. When she arrived at the school, after her husband called her at around 11am, she found her son with a swollen face and a bleeding nose.
Possible motive
Asked whether the attack was linked to a personal dispute, the mother said there may have been a misunderstanding involving a classmate of her son who is the 19-year-old’s former girlfriend. She said she could not verify what had happened or the motive, and that it was for the police to establish.
She said that two days before the attack, her son and the girl had pushed each other after a minor misunderstanding when school ended. Her son was suspended over the incident, and the girl was called in by the deputy headteacher. The matter was then considered closed, she said.
School security
The mother questioned how the 19-year-old was able to enter the school and find her son. She said that, as far as she knew, there was not enough supervision at the time and no security staff.
“Is an outsider allowed to enter the school and for this to happen?” she asked. She said she had been told the incident happened very quickly and those present did not have time to react.
She also said she was concerned that other students might be afraid to give evidence, fearing they could face the alleged attacker outside school. She said she was awaiting the outcome of the police investigation and wanted those responsible held to account.
