During 2024, 400 child offenders in Cyprus were questioned and either taken to the police station or detained due to the serious crimes they committed.
According to a Fileleftheros’ leader titled “400 Children Handcuffed in 2024”, Justice and Public Order Minister Marios Harciotis announced that they created a special department within the police force due to the serious increase in the number of child criminals and that they were training personnel for this purpose.
Harciotis, who stated that 400 children were taken to police stations or detained because of serious crimes they committed in 2004, said that they improved the conditions by arranging a wing of the Central Prison for child prisoners until a special detention area was established outside the prison.
The newspaper also reported that the buildings in Mennoia, where irregular migrants are housed, will be used as child detention areas in 2026.