The lawyers of the family of Christina Camilla Palmdahl, the victim of a road collision on May 5 in Ayia Napa, request an appeal from the Legal Service, in their letter. As they state in their letter, the decision to impose a 12-month prison sentence imposed on the driver who caused the death of 46-year-old Christina Camilla Palmdahl, is a HUGE insult to the memory of the victim, her family, but also an insult to the entire Cypriot society.
Read the letter in full:
“We are acting as the authorized legal representatives (ALEXANDROU & VAROUDAKIS DEPE) of the family of the victim, Christina Camilla Palmdahl, of the fatal accident that took place in Ayia Napa on 05/05/2022 where the above mentioned also died.
This is sent in relation to the decision of the District Court of Famagusta, dated 27/06/2022 by order of our clients and constitutes their official position and ours, as lawyers of , which we request be published in full as below:
«The decision to impose a 12-month prison sentence imposed on the driver who caused the death of the 46-year-old Christina Camilla Palmdahl, is a BLAST insult to the memory of the victim, her family, but also an insult to the entire Cypriot society. Despite the fact that there was testimony on the basis of which it is proved that the driver in question was clearly driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he caused the accident, this was not taken into account by either the Prosecuting Authority or the Court in sentencing, as they ignored that when the driver was located the breathalyzer and drug test to which he was submitted had a positive indication (!). It was also not taken into account either by the Accusing Authority or by the Court that:
- The driver completely abandoned his vehicle and the scene without offering any assistance toCamilla. By this move he showed his intention to avoid any responsibility, while at the same time he knew that the rental vehicle was written in his name and it was certain that it would be traced.
- Witnesses in the area have stated that for many meters if not kilometers before he himself was driving in an extremely dangerous and reckless manner, behavior that is a daily and all-day phenomenon on Island Avenue by tourists driving buggy-type vehicles.
- The driver/accused, for mitigation purposes and to support his “alleged” remorse, sent a written intention to pay some amount to the victim's 5-year-old daughter, who was just a few meters away from the scene of her mother's death . While the said proposal was used in Court as a mitigating factor to reduce his sentence, neither he nor anyone else on his side proceeded with fulfilling the above proposal.
- In the highly praised decision of the Criminal Court of Limassol exactly 12 months earlier, the Russian driver who caused the death of 27-year-old Panagiotis Christophoros while he was under the under the influence of alcohol and drugs, was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to 9 years in prison.
how the Cypriot Courts finally show leniency to the drivers who abandon their victims. Could it be that the English driver of the Buggy that killed her i>Camilla hadn't left the scene, would she have been sentenced to 9 years instead of 12 months?
Due to all of the above, for the proper delivery of Justice, but also to save other victims from such road behavior and unfair decisions, we expect the Legal Service to proceed with an Appeal Penalty imposed on the English driver.»
