Newsroom
Three teenagers are among four people arrested after a violent night in Limassol during which food delivery drivers were allegedly attacked or threatened while out making deliveries.
The suspects include two 16-year-olds, a 17-year-old, and an 18-year-old. Their ages have added another worrying dimension to a case that was already disturbing: a worker allegedly surrounded by a large group, attacked with bats and rocks, and robbed in the street.
It began at about 8:25 p.m. Sunday in Yermasoyia, where police say around 10 people targeted a 26-year-old courier travelling on his motorcycle.
The driver was allegedly beaten before his motorcycle, wallet, mobile phone, and other belongings were taken.
The violence did not appear to end there.
When police reached the area, officers reportedly saw members of the group moving toward another courier in an aggressive manner. That driver managed to speed away before he could be attacked.
Four suspects were caught as the group fled from police.
During searches, officers allegedly found a credit card on one of the 16-year-olds. Police said he could not adequately explain why he had it. The 18-year-old was reportedly carrying a spray device containing harmful gas.
A little over an hour after the first attack, another 26-year-old courier was assaulted while making a delivery in nearby Mouttayiaka. Police are now investigating whether the two incidents are connected.
The case has put two uncomfortable issues in the same frame.
The first is the apparent involvement of minors in serious violence. One incident cannot establish that young people across Cyprus are becoming more violent, but the ages of those arrested cannot simply be brushed aside. When teenagers are suspected of joining a group armed with bats and rocks, the conversation must go beyond arrests and court appearances to ask what is happening before young people reach that point.
The second is the vulnerability of delivery workers.
They travel alone, often at night, carrying phones, cash, and orders into unfamiliar streets. The rest of us may see only the few minutes between tapping “order” and hearing the doorbell. For the person bringing the food, however, every delivery means another journey with little protection if something goes wrong.
The four suspects were expected to appear before Limassol District Court on Monday as police continued investigating the attacks and searching for others who may have been involved.
