A Swedish detainee’s escape from a private hospital in Larnaca has once again raised concerns over custody procedures, where 16 suspects and defendants have managed to in the past five years.
The incident has reignited debate over police security measures. This follows a January incident where a detainee escaped from Lakatamia police station by removing glass blocks from the toilet area undetected.
According to police data, 2022 saw the highest number of escapes, with six detainees managing to flee police custody during transfers or while under guard at police stations or other facilities. Most escapes are attributed to relaxed security measures, insufficient supervision, structural vulnerabilities in detention facilities, and detainees exploiting weaknesses in the system.
Court appearances present the highest risk for escapes, followed by hospital visits and medical appointments. Psychiatric patients under custody have also managed to escape due to inadequate security measures or facilities lacking proper containment features.
The breakdown of escapes shows two incidents in 2020, five in 2021, six in 2022, one in 2023, and two in 2024 so far. These figures exclude escapes from Central Prisons jurisdiction, such as the recent case of a life-sentence prisoner who fled while on supervised leave with an escort of four prison guards and three rapid response unit members.
While police officers involved in escapes are typically suspended pending investigation, disciplinary outcomes are not made public.
The Chief of Police, in consultation with political leadership, is now seeking to establish new detention protocols to prevent future escapes.
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