Newsroom
Police officers in the British Bases praised the courage and quick thinking of a child whose discreet hand gesture led to the conviction of their abusive father.
The man was sentenced in September to 25 months in prison at Dhekelia after officers received an anonymous tip about shouting coming from a house in the area. When they arrived, the family went quiet, but one of the four children began making facial expressions and hand signals that caught the officers’ attention.
According to the Bases Police, the child used the international signal for distress, raising a hand, tucking the thumb into the palm, and folding the fingers down to trap it, a gesture recognized globally as a silent cry for help in abuse situations.
Recognizing the sign, officers immediately detained the man and took the family to safety, said Chief Inspector Phanos Christodoulou.
“Obviously this was an extremely painful situation for the family, one that could have easily gone on,” Christodoulou said. “It took real bravery for the child to communicate with our officers that day, and I’m relieved that they recognized the signal and acted quickly.
