A British father is due to appear before a court in Cyprus over the death of his two-year-old son, who suffered fatal injuries after falling from a fourth-floor hotel window during a family holiday in July.
The 37-year-old father, who has not been publicly named, is accused of causing his son’s death through negligent, reckless or dangerous actions. The child fell from a window at the King Evelthon hotel near Paphos on July 12 and died after suffering severe head injuries.
The father has said he placed the boy on the windowsill near a corridor leading to a lift, without realising that the window was open. He was initially granted bail of €30,000 to return to Britain for his son’s funeral but was later required to return to Cyprus and surrender his passport.
His lawyer had appealed for the criminal proceedings to be discontinued on humanitarian grounds, but Cyprus’ attorney general rejected the request, saying the case should proceed in the public interest. If convicted, the father faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
The case has sparked debate in Cyprus, with human rights advocates questioning whether the country’s legal system gives sufficient consideration to tragic accidents and the circumstances surrounding them.
Leave a comment