The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal filed by a man who was referred to trial before the Nicosia Criminal Court over multiple serious offences allegedly committed against his wife and involving the couple’s minor children.
Detention order remains in force
Through its ruling, the Appeal Court upheld the first-instance decision to keep the accused in custody until the beginning of the trial, dismissing all arguments raised by the defence.
According to the case details, the accused faces a total of eight charges. These include allegations of sexual offences, physical and psychological abuse, unlawful restriction of the complainant’s freedom, damage to personal property and threats involving private material. He also faces charges linked to the transfer of the couple’s two children outside the Republic of Cyprus without the mother’s consent.
Court reviews evidence and legal grounds
The accused denied all charges and argued before the Criminal Court that there were no grounds to justify continued detention.
Among other arguments, the defence claimed that the prosecution evidence was insufficient to establish a likelihood of conviction, that there was no genuine risk of absconding and that strict bail conditions could be imposed instead of detention.
The Appeal Court found that the lower court had followed the correct legal approach and properly assessed the evidence available at that stage of the proceedings.
The ruling stressed that during detention proceedings, the court does not determine guilt or innocence, but examines whether available material creates a reasonable prospect of conviction and whether grounds exist to justify detention pending trial.
Flight risk considered a key factor
Particular importance was given to the possibility of absconding.
The Court considered the seriousness of the charges, the potential legal consequences in the event of conviction and the fact that the accused’s children are currently outside Cyprus.
While the Court acknowledged the accused’s personal and professional ties to the Republic, it ruled that these factors were insufficient to eliminate the risk of him failing to appear for trial.
The Appeal Court also rejected claims that proposed bail conditions could adequately secure the defendant’s presence before the court.
In its final ruling, the Supreme Court concluded that the lower court’s decision had been fully justified and found no legal or factual error requiring intervention. The appeal was therefore dismissed in its entirety and the detention order remains in effect until trial.
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