The Cyprus police have come under fire for their failure to properly investigate reports of missing foreign women. Amidst the turmoil of the investigation to find the bodies of the victims of the island nation’s first ever serial killer, Cypriot Justice Minister Ionas Nikolaou suggested that he may submit his resignation in a written statement that was released on Wednesday. “I have made my decisions and I will inform the president tomorrow,” he said.
The statement fell short of accepting direct responsibility regarding the botched investigations regarding complaints following the disappearances of women. He wrote “the minister and the ministry had no authority, nor should they, regarding the way the police conducted their investigations.”
Experts from Scotland Yard have joined the investigations at the toxic ‘red lake’ where the 35-year-old army captain reportedly confessed to dumping three of his victims. The suspect has allegedly confessed to killing seven women, but there is speculation that the toll may be higher. One suitcase with a woman’s body weighed down by a cement bloc has been retrieved, and the search is on for another two suitcases.
The Cypriot police have faced criticism for their handling of the case prior to the discovery of the body of the first victim at an abandoned mine shaft.