Court sentences man to 13 years
The Ayia Napa rape case concluded on Friday, 13 March, when the Famagusta Permanent Criminal Court sentenced a 51-year-old man to 13 years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple serious sexual offences against a 26-year-old foreign woman.
The offences were committed between July and September 2023 in Ayia Napa and Paralimni. The sentencing hearing was held behind closed doors.
Convicted on multiple charges
According to information, the court had earlier found the defendant guilty on 15 out of the 16 charges he faced. These included eight counts of rape, as well as related offences such as sexual abuse with indecent assault, threats, and stalking.
The court imposed concurrent prison sentences, with the highest penalty being 13 years for the rape charges.
Court highlights seriousness of offences
During sentencing, the Criminal Court stressed the gravity of the crimes and the systematic nature of the defendant’s behaviour. It noted that in cases involving multiple incidents of rape, case law places sentences at the highest end of the scale.
The judges also reviewed Cypriot and English case law for similar offences, where prison terms of nine to ten years have been considered appropriate even for single incidents of rape.
Multiple incidents increased severity
In this case, the court emphasised that the offences involved repeated acts carried out on different occasions, which significantly increased the seriousness of the case.
The defendant’s criminal record was also taken into account. He had previous convictions for other offences, although none were of a sexual nature.
After a lengthy court procedure, the Criminal Court imposed concurrent sentences, with the maximum term set at 13 years’ imprisonment.
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