Police told to gather more evidence in pool death probe

A police investigation into the fatal drowning of a young girl in a hotel pool in Paphos has been extended a third time, after state prosecutors asked law enforcement to go back and clarify a number of issues and technicalities.

Last month 3-year-old Christina Protopapa from Nicosia drowned to death in a Paphos hotel adult-size swimming pool. Media reports said the little girl ended up in the bottom the pool minutes in the late afternoon after telling mom and dad nearby that she was going to a play in the adjacent kid-friendly pool.

No arrests have been made while police probe findings have been shared twice with the Legal Department, according to local media.

Attorney General George Savvides, who reportedly has reviewed the findings twice in twenty days according to Reporter, gave instructions for additional statements “in order to clarify some issues.”

Previous reports said an enhanced team from several agencies was put together and tasked to find out what went wrong before Christina lost her life in a crowded swimming pool.

But local media said so far the investigation had not identified any possible criminal acts in the death of the little girl, suggesting criminal prosecution in a court of law could be ruled out.

Reporter cited police sources saying investigators were puzzled as to how nobody saw a little girl drowning underwater while there were dozens of adults, including couples and famines with children present during the incident, with Christina’s mom and dad also nearby.

Other media reported on the quality of water as one unresolved issue in the investigation, while data from a defibrillator used at the scene was also obtained by police.

Based on media speculation, Savvides is seeking to clarify in a third report additional points and technical issues, such as the possibility of cloudy water in the swimming pool that might have prevented guests from spotting Christina in time.