Not the first time we hear about this sort of thing happening in Greek South Cyprus, an EU country where the minorities are supposed to be protected and have rights.
Can anyone imagine what would happen if the Greek Cypriot racists did this sort of thing to the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriot police refuesd to do anything about it?
[/quote]Sudanese girl beaten in vicious racist attack
By Alexia Saoulli
A 15-YEAR-OLD Sudanese girl was in hospital yesterday after she was badly beaten in an unprovoked racist attack on Thursday night.
The teenager was attacked by dozens of youths after a volleyball match between Akaki gymnasium and a Strovolos secondary school.
“They kicked her, punched her, pulled her hair and told her to go home as foreigners are not welcome here,” said Doros Polycarpou, leader of immigrant support group, KISA.
The young girl, who is Cypriot citizen from African descent, was a player in the Akaki team. The attack occurred following the match’s conclusion, which saw the 15-year-old’s team victorious.
“At first she was attacked by one of the other team’s players and then suddenly everyone lunged at her, including fans,” said Polycarpou.
When the girl’s coach tried to defend her, he was threatened with a beating.
“They had to call 199 and it was only when the police arrived that the beating stopped,” he said.
But the only thing the police did to protect the girl was to lock her in the school until her father arrived to take her to hospital.
“No one was arrested. No statements were taken. No one was charged,” said Polycarpou.
The 15-year-old was taken to Nicosia general hospital with severe injuries and admitted for treatment. She remained in hospital last night.
When her father tried to report the incident he was told to fill in a medical form and to return with it later. The teen’s father did as he was asked only to be told that the afternoon shift that had handled the incident had gone home.
“He was told to come back the next day. When he went by today he was told that the shift hadn’t come to work yet and that they would contact him,” Polycarpou said.
According to a KISA news release: “This is one of the most serious crimes concerning racist violence in Cyprus, since the reason of the attack was the young girl’s skin colour. She is a Cypriot national of African origins… The incident may be an unusually extreme form of racist violence, but it nevertheless takes place in a broader social framework, where racist attitudes and discrimination against migrants and refugees (concerning employment, housing and other aspects of daily life) now dominate.”
Incidents of this nature were relevant to the stigmatisation of migrants by politicians, the media and social prominent personalities who persistently made racist generalisations, the statement said. Examples included the constant referral to “illegal migrants” even when referring to refugees from Iraq or Palestine, linking unemployment and crime to an increase in migrants, concealing the positive impact of migrants on the economy and society, and an absence of effective social integration practices.
“Unfortunately, the racist venom has been allowed to poison the souls of a portion of our youth,” KISA said.
The organisation also criticised police for continually showing a total lack of sensibility towards incidents of racist violence and for often failing to even take a record of such incidents.
“The African Community in Cyprus is living in fear since last night’s attack. KISA demands the thorough investigation of the incident and the punishment of those guilty of the crime. This is of course the bare minimum and cannot in itself solve the larger problem. What is absolutely necessary is the implementation of a comprehensive policy on migration and asylum that will safeguard migrants’ rights, respect of diversity and the social integration of migrants, refugees, children of mixed marriages, and others. It is also necessary to introduce a comprehensive action plan against racism, xenophobia and discrimination,” said KISA.
The immigrant group called on all students, particularly the perpetrators’ schoolmates, to isolate the 15-year-old’s attackers and to show their solidarity to the young victim and her family.
The organisation will hold a protest demonstration at 11am in Eleftheria Square today in an effort to raise awareness about the incident and to put an end to similar ones in future before they taken on even more tragic dimensions.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php
I always condemn such actions and I give 
