A 37-year-old British man is returning to Cyprus on Monday to face charges over the death of his three-year-old son, who died after falling from a hotel window in Paphos.
The father, a banking sector executive, is accused of causing the child’s death through a “reckless, rash or dangerous act”. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison.
Child fell from fourth-floor window
The family had been on holiday in Paphos when the tragedy occurred on 12 July, their first day at the hotel.
According to the case, the father placed his son on the window ledge on the fourth floor while waiting for the lift. He is said to have believed the window was closed.
However, the window was open and the three-year-old fell from a height of around 10 metres, resulting in his death.
The father remained in custody for eight days before being charged.
Father allowed to return to UK for funeral
Bail was set at £25,750. The man’s travel ban was also temporarily lifted for one month on humanitarian grounds, allowing him to return to Britain and attend his son’s funeral.
The exemption expires on Tuesday, after which the 37-year-old will have to surrender his passport to the Cypriot authorities.
A family friend told the Mail on Sunday that the father “really does not want to leave his wife and daughter”, but knows he has “no other choice”.
The temporary lifting of the travel restriction allowed him to briefly reunite with his 38-year-old wife, who works in healthcare and had left Cyprus with their daughter a week earlier.
Family faces continued trauma
The boy was buried in late August in a ceremony attended by more than 100 people.
Last week, the family’s daughter started primary school. During her father’s detention, her parents had to explain to her via video call from his cell that her brother had died.
“Everyone was worried about how her return to school would be, but everything went smoothly and the school has shown tremendous support,” a family friend said.
Lawyer appeals for case to be withdrawn
The family’s Cypriot lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, has appealed to Attorney General George Savvides to withdraw the case on humanitarian grounds.
The 37-year-old is expected to appear before a court on Thursday.
Also read: 37-year-old returns to UK for son’s funeral, “in fragile emotional state”
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