Double murder in Limassol in 1974: Eight-year-old boy and grandmother killed by gunfire
52 years after the coup d'état of 15 July 1974, relatives remember the murder of Stavros Pidia and Margarita Theodoro in Agios Ioannis, Limassol.
Double murder in Limassol in 1974: Eight-year-old boy and grandmother killed by gunfire
On 15 July 1974, during the coup d'état, an eight-year-old boy and his grandmother were murdered inside their home in the Agios Ioannis area in Limassol, according to Politis.
Stavros Pidia and 62-year-old Margarita Theodoro fell dead from bullets whilst they were on the veranda of their home. The incident occurred before the eyes of the entire family, which had gathered there for breakfast.
According to testimony from relatives, a military vehicle appeared in the area at around 9:30 in the morning. Persons in military uniforms began shooting towards Agios Ioannis Police Station. Bullets hit the house and the veranda where the family was located.
Spyros Christodoulou, then 11 years old and the boy's uncle, described how young Stavros was holding a bowl of caramel cream when he was struck in the head. Grandmother Margarita was shot in the heart and chest. The boy's mother, Nausika, was wounded in the arm.
Stavros's father transferred the victims to Limassol Hospital. During the night, the rest of the family remained hidden in the house, whilst coup plotters appeared with a vehicle and removed the bodies from the hospital.
The family expresses the belief that there were coup plotters' agents within the Police. Spyros Christodoulou rules out the possibility of an unfortunate coincidence, noting that the house was at a distance from the military vehicle.
Source: Politis