The Attorney General’s Office has given the green light to police to charge the 43-year-old Greek Cypriot man seen in a video verbally and physically abusing a Congolese woman with racism as well.
He already faces charges of violence against a woman – one with a baby in her arms – and has been remanded in custody for four days by Larnaca District Court. His remand order ends on Tuesday, Philenews reports.
The man was arrested after he was caught on video kicking the Congolese woman holding her baby in a street near Larnaca port – an incident that was universally condemned.
The video, posted on Twitter by an anti-racism activist, was viewed by over 20,000 in just a few hours.
The woman is an asylum seeker who had bought a car from the man and returned it after a mechanic told her it was problematic.
Police said the 43-year-old was arrested for offences also related to violating certain forms and expressions of the racism and xenophobia law – something that needed approval by the Attorney General.
This is in addition to the prevention and combatting of all forms of violence against women act while he is also being charged with assault causing actual bodily harm, public insult and threat.
