Cyprus-Forum.com

[Sotos]

A Cyprus Court on Friday awarded an 11-year-old autistic boy from Limassol 251.800 Cypriot pounds in damages against the government for suffering caused by the Red Arrows, which hold annual aerobatics exercises out of the British air base of Akrotiri.

According to the Court ruling, the case was brought against the Cyprus government for failure to protect its citizens and especially those who had acoustic problems. The case was not brought against Britain, because under Cyprus Law the case could not be filed against a foreign state in a local Court.

Britain retains two sovereign military bases on the island since Cyprus gained independence from colonial rule in 1960.

The family of Alexandros Kostaki, who stays in the Tsirio area, sued against the Cyprus government when from 1990, his condition started to deteriorate and needed treatment of noise damage. They had complained to the government on several occasions but nothing had been done.

The Court agreed the boy had suffered actual bodily harm from the Red Arrow formation team flying over his home on a regular basis.

According to the ruling, the Cyprus government had the responsibility to take all necessary measures and forbid the flying of aircrafts on the Cyprus air-space and especially in residential areas.

I remember this story from several years ago. The mother of the child said that she was trying to cure her child by taking him for treatment to the USA but every time the Red Arrows came they ruined everything. The last time they came they caused to the child damages that can not be treated anymore

[unique_earthling]

I am not sure if this good or bad, still trying to assimilate the info, so they are saying that the child suffered because the red arrows noise hurt the boy yet... a child can be raped and abused its life potential destroyed and they get zilch, sorry but i cant see how one child can merit this amount of money because of something that has destroyed a maybe potential to another whose potential is also destroyed.. What about a child being traumatised by war, bombs, seeing the demise of family etc, the list is endless... i really cant see that this case takes a precedence or how it deserves the money anymore than others that have suffered..

[Sotos]

This child was damaged by what one government did and what another government didn't prevent. I think all citizens should be protected and have the right to take such cases to justice.

[Natty]

So the Republic of Cyprus was sued, when it was the 'British' red arrows that caused the problems?....I don't know whether I'm right, but to me that doesn't sound very fair...I mean, how could the Goverment protect the boy, when they have no contoll over the British bases, and subsequently what the the British do in the bases...mmmm..interesting...

(Although again I could be wrong, Im not that clued up about the rules concerning the British bases to be honest with you... )

[souroul]

thats a bunch of bullshit
he was after the money
the red arrows fly what, once a year?

[Sotos]

The boy was autistic and had another problem I don't know how it is called in English. I remember this story many years ago when it was shown in the news. They asked the British bases to stop the flights over limassol and sued only when the British continued. I think RoC can now sue the British bases and take the 250.000 from them. Here is the news in greek: http://www.phileleftheros.com/main/main ... &id=426882

[unique_earthling]

Stop a programned flight for one child? sorry but i think its a bit extreme.

[Sotos]

Stop a programned flight for one child? sorry but i think its a bit extreme.

These were not the usual flights curring passengers. You don't know what the Red Arrows are? They are military planes that do acrobatics. They fly at very low altitude. According to Simirini RoC will sue the British bases to get the 250.000 from them. A licence had been given to the British to fly their planes over the coastline but in several occasions they did not follow this agreement and flew over limassol at extremely low altitudes. Here is the article: http://www.simerini.com/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=263136

[andri_cy]

I think that he needs to gets his money and the RoC should proceed to sue the bases like they plan to do. They had a license that was specific and they decided to not follow the instructions so they need to pay up.