Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-08-05
CONTENTS
[01] AUTISTIC BOY - RED ARROWS
[01] AUTISTIC BOY - RED ARROWS
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.
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