The Attorney General of the Republic, Polina Efthyvoulou, spoke on Protoselido about the conviction of a teacher for the sexual harassment of a student.
Specifically, she explained that this case dates back years, but the legal proceedings were lengthy. “This child found the courage, after 22 years, to report these criminal behaviours to the police and to follow the appropriate path, which in such cases is the path of justice.”
She added, “Through judicial decisions, especially those of the scope and severity of a criminal court ruling, multiple messages are sent to society, not just to the specific victim and perpetrator. Particularly in sexual cases where the victim is a child, these cases not only provoke reactions in all of us but must also send the right messages to the victims themselves through their outcomes.”
She emphasised, “I want us to focus on all the victims who have not found the courage all these years to report the criminal behaviours they have experienced.”
She noted, “In most cases, these proceedings take place behind closed doors, and no identifying details are publicised.”
Regarding this specific case, she stated, “It aimed to send the message that the established institutions function. From the moment a complaint is made, the police, through investigative work, we as the Attorney General’s office through a professional approach, and ultimately the court itself, through the administration of justice, deliver this message.”
The verdict
The Permanent Criminal Court of Limassol sentenced a 75-year-old former private tutor to three years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually harassing a minor student 22 years ago. The case was heard behind closed doors, with two of the three judges reaching a guilty verdict, while one dissented.
The sentence relates to indecent assaults and violations of the Child Sexual Abuse Law as it stood at the time. The defendant’s lawyers are expected to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.
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