Cops on alert after girl’s alcohol poisoning scare

Authorities are troubled over an alcohol poisoning incident where a young teenage girl ended up in the Emergency Room after her mother went to pick her up in the early evening.

According to media reports, a 13-year-old girl from Russia had to be admitted into Nicosia's Makarios Children's Hospital on Saturday after her mother went to pick her up near a restaurant in Yermasoyia, Limassol district.

The young girl, who was with her friends on a Saturday outing, was said to have been in a semi-comatose state when her mother went to pick her up around 7:30pm. After initially going to a private clinic, doctors said she needed to be admitted into hospital due to her serious condition.

Her friends reportedly said the teen had drunk large amounts of alcohol in a short time, according to local media.

CID Limassol director Ioannis Soteriades says police have grave concern over what he described as a “very serious” incident.

“We are looking into the issue very carefully and of course focusing on the circumstances under which the 13-year-old girl consumed alcoholic beverages,” Soteriades said.

According to police, two possibilities are under consideration including a third individual supplying the girl with alcohol or the teen managing to get the drinks on her own from a business establishment.

The teenager, who was said to be doing better, is expected to speak with investigators as soon as doctors give their consent.

Asked whether police had an illegal supplying of alcohol to minors in their hands, Soteriades said “this is an issue we will examine and it is the focus of our investigation and line of questioning,” he added.

Last month, a teenager from Larnaca died after he collapsed at a birthday party. It was later reported that the 16-year-old boy was a victim of bullying, with allegations that he was pressured into drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short time.