Public outrage continues over the circulation of a video showing a person with a disability being pressured to expose their genitals, with disability organisations criticising the handling of the case and urging people to stop sharing the footage.
The video became public following intervention by organisations representing people with disabilities, although it had reportedly been known to police since early June.
Speaking to Cyprus’ state broadcaster on Tuesday morning, KYSOA President Themis Anthopoulou appealed to the public to stop circulating the video.
“The continued circulation of the video is equivalent to the abuse recorded in it,” she said.
Questions over identification of those involved
Anthopoulou questioned why a member of the public was reportedly able to identify those involved within an hour through social media, while police had been unable to do so over a period of nearly two months.
She said the President of the Down Syndrome Association had been informed that authorities had failed to identify either the individuals or the social media accounts connected to the case.
According to Anthopoulou, this reflected a lack of interest rather than an inability to investigate.
“It is impossible for a private citizen to identify them while an entire cybercrime unit cannot,” she said.
She added that she had raised the issue with the Ministry of Justice and claimed officials told her her concerns were justified.
Calls for stronger action
Anthopoulou stressed that cooperation with the police is often effective, but argued that, in this case, meaningful action would not have been taken without pressure from members of the public and disability organisations.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing.
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