There are many pressing questions seeking answers around the unimaginable tragedy revealed on Sunday afternoon in Xylofagou, with the discovery of two dead children, aged 10 and 8, from Bulgaria, inside their father’s car.
It is a tragedy beyond comprehension, one that has shocked the entire country.
The British Bases Police in Dhekelia, who are handling the case, are gathering testimonies from residents of the area, reviewing CCTV footage and collecting scientific evidence in order to fully clarify the circumstances under which the two siblings were left unattended from Sunday morning, as well as how they ended up locked inside the vehicle where they were later found dead that same afternoon.
Investigators are examining how the vehicle was locked and why the two boys were unable to exit, resulting in their deaths, apparently due to asphyxiation caused by the high temperatures.
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old father of the two children, from Bulgaria, who lives and works permanently in Cyprus, and his 38-year-old partner appeared before the Dhekelia Court for the issuance of a remand order in connection with alleged negligence in the care and supervision of the children.
Investigators continue to take statements in order to clarify the details that led to the deaths of the two boys. Of particular importance are the testimonies of the father and stepmother, especially regarding the fact that the children had been left unattended for several hours, even though information is being evaluated suggesting that the father’s brother was also living in the same house.
The vehicle will also undergo detailed examination by experts, as it cannot be ruled out that it may have had a mechanical fault, which could explain why the children remained locked inside.
The most likely scenario is that the two brothers were playing and at some point entered the car and locked themselves inside, without being able to get out afterwards. Investigators are also examining the possibility that they may have been left inside the vehicle while sleeping.
The children had arrived in Cyprus a few weeks earlier to spend their holidays with their father.
According to testimony collected so far, early on Sunday morning the father left for work, and shortly afterwards his partner did the same. At some point, under circumstances still under investigation, the boys entered their father’s car, which was parked in a field next to the apartment building where they lived.
Authorities are investigating how they became locked inside the vehicle and why they were unable to exit, resulting in them remaining inside for many hours before the tragedy occurred. Burns were found on their bodies, likely due to exposure to the sun.
Police of the British Bases were alerted at around 6pm by a member of the public who noticed the boys unconscious inside the locked vehicle.
The car windows had to be broken to remove the children. An ambulance crew that arrived at the scene attempted to provide first aid, but they could not be revived. The children were taken to hospital, where their deaths were confirmed.
The exact causes of death will be determined through post-mortem examinations on the two bodies.
