German defendant challenges police handwriting analysis in occupied Cyprus land usurpation
Source: in-cyprus.com
A defence handwriting expert has raised serious questions about the reliability of police forensic analysis in the trial of a German woman accused of appropriating Greek Cypriot properties in occupied north Cyprus.
Expert witness Marios Markides told Nicosia Criminal Court on Monday that disputed handwriting on a consent form was not written by the defendant, contradicting findings by police graphologist Georgios Chrysanthou.
The case centres on whether the suspect voluntarily signed a consent form for baggage searches during her airport arrest, with the handwriting analysis forming a key element in determining the legality of her detention.
Markides applied comparative analytical methodology to examine the phrase “they search” on the consent document, comparing it against 27 samples of the defendant’s handwriting collected at different times by various examiners.
“The findings are not objective and do not meet scientific standards,” Markides said, criticising the police expert’s approach. He argued that comparing individual letters without comprehensive handwriting analysis represented a methodological error.
The expert highlighted differences between the defendant’s documented handwriting characteristics and the disputed text on the consent form. He emphasised the need for caution when comparing handwriting across different languages, noting potential methodological errors due to cultural differences between English and German writing styles.
Markides supported his conclusions with examples and references to relevant literature, arguing that the police analysis omitted critical graphological characteristics required for scientific accuracy.
Cross-examination will continue on Wednesday, when the final defence witness is expected to complete testimony. The trial-within-a-trial is scheduled to resume on 16 July.
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