Greek Cypriot police launch wide scale search for escaped priosner

A manhunt is underway in south Cyprus after Theodoros Theofanous, a 42-year-old convicted murderer known as the “hairdresser”, escaped from police custody while he was being escorted on a leave to see his family in Paphos on Thursday.

On Thursday September, 26, 2024, Theofanous was visiting relatives in his home village of Choletria when he fled through an open window, evading his escorts from the Mobile Immediate Action Unit (MMAD) and prison guards.

The escape occurred shortly before noon, triggering an immediate alert and extensive search operation. Paphos Police has mobilised significant resources, conducting thorough searches of Choletria and surrounding areas.

The prisoner was handcuffed until entering the house, where the restraints were removed. He reportedly escaped by jumping out of a window while the guards were stationed outside.

Authorities have initiated procedures to place all officers responsible for the prisoner’s custody on leave pending an investigation. The escape has raised questions about security protocols, particularly as this was not the prisoner’s first escorted visit home.

In response to the escape, police have deployed a helicopter and drone for aerial searches. Four teams from the Prisons Department have joined the Paphos Police Directorate in conducting ground searches across the province.

A Crisis Management Centre has been established at Police Headquarters to coordinate the search efforts and manage incoming information.

Authorities have launched an administrative investigation into the circumstances that led to the escape, raising questions about the security protocols for high-risk prisoner leaves.

Cyprus Police have released Theofanous’s photo and details to the public, appealing for information to aid in his capture.

They urge anyone with relevant information to contact the Paphos TAE at 26806021, the Citizen Communication Line at 1460, or their nearest police station.

Theodoros Theofanous, a hairdresser who was sentenced to life imprisonment 13 years ago in 2012 for the murder of his pregnant partner, 24-year-old Yulia Oporok, an incident that shocked Cyprus.

He was also sentenced to an additional 35 years for the murder of her three-year-old daughter, Viktoria. The brutal crime took place in December 2011.

Following the incident, Oporok’s body was found in her car near the Yeroskipou coastal area with gunshot wounds to her chest and abdomen. The body of her three-year-old daughter, Viktoria, was discovered 50 metres away from the vehicle.

According to autopsy reports, the young girl witnessed her mother’s murder and was killed by Theofanous, as he suffocated her by covering her mouth and nose.

During the trial, it emerged that Theofanous had confessed to the crime to fellow inmate Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, who testified in court. His testimony was deemed credible by the court.