Parent loses it after incident outside junior high

A father waiting for his child outside a Larnaca junior high school went ballistic when a glass bottle was thrown at his car, with reports saying he grabbed a male student by the neck.

Local media said a man in his early 50’s parked his car outside a junior high school in Larnaca, where he went to pick up his child on Tuesday around 1:15pm.

Larnaca police spokesperson Haris Hadjiyiasemi was quoted in local media as saying the man was waiting inside his vehicle when a glass bottle landed at the wheel from nearby, where a group of children were hanging out during a free class period.

Hadjiyiasemi said preliminary information suggested the man was agitated and got out, throwing the glass bottle on the ground and grabbing a boy by the neck.

“The 52-year-old grabbed a student by the neck, maybe because he thought it was him who kicked the glass bottle that ended up at the wheel of his vehicle,” Hadjiyiasemi said.

An escort for a child with autism was said to have intervened, according to Hadjiyiasemi, who added the woman gave her own account of what had happened, while reports suggested the man also gestured towards other kids.

Officers who were called to the scene were also told that two children were injured from pieces of flying glass during the incident.

Police declined to provide details but local media said officers handed special forms to the parents of the two children, instructing them to have them filled by a medical doctor who would examine the kids at Larnaca General Hospital.

No information was given about the father or whether he was arrested but local media said he was called to the local petty crimes unit where he gave a statement.

The students, including the kids who said they were injured by small fragments of glass - one on the wrist and the other on the leg, would also visit the police station to give statements.