A serious incident of delinquent - and possibly criminal - action occurred in the early morning hours of Thursday 21 August in Kapsali Kythera, causing upset and terror to the visitors of the organized campsite.
According to testimonies, around 5:00 in the morning, 5 young men climbed from the main road of Kapsali to the path leading to the campsite. They stood outside the fence and started screaming and using air horns, similar to those used in stadiums, and then lit a flare - smoke bomb while in a wooded area.
Their actions roused the campers, many of whom were sleeping, including families with young children who panicked. Witnesses said the perpetrators shouted threatening phrases at campers.
The police were immediately informed of the incident by the camp guard at the time of the incident. However, it is reported that there was no police response at the scene. The owners of the business were subsequently informed, as well as the Fire Department, and the case is now under investigation.
The fact that a smoke bomb was fired in a forest environment, in a period of high fire risk, constitutes, according to those in the know, not only an offence, but a criminal act, with clear risks for the safety of people and the natural environment.
This is not the first time that worrying incidents have occurred in this area. Already since the beginning of August, another incident of misconduct had been recorded at the campsite, which intensifies the concern and raises the issue of prevention and policing in the wider area of Kapsali. It is noted that the organised camping of Kapsali is estimated to have up to 200 visitors during peak season.
The incident once again brings to the fore the issue of policing on the island. The case is in the hands of the authorities, but the question that remains is whether there is the political will and operational capacity to put an end to incidents of delinquency before we suffer victims or experience a new disaster.
