The father of the two boys who died after being found inside a locked car in Xylofagou has been charged with causing death by reckless act in relation to both deaths, the Sovereign Base Areas Police have confirmed, following the conclusion of the remand period granted for further investigation. He has been remanded in custody until a fixed trial date of 16 July at 9am.
The two brothers, aged eight and ten, were found dead inside a parked BMW in a field in Xylofagou in late June. The boys, from Bulgaria, had arrived in Cyprus in mid-May to spend a holiday with their father, who lives and works on the island. They had reportedly been left in the car to sleep, according to local media reports at the time.
Xylofagou's community leader, George Ioulianos, told local media that the father and his partner had gone to work in the morning, leaving the children alone, and that the boys appeared to have entered the car and become locked inside, dying from suffocation. As of late June, it had not been established how the boys became trapped inside the vehicle, though burn marks were found on their bodies. Medical professionals reported the children had suffered extreme muscle stiffness and burns consistent with sun exposure.
During the court proceedings, police, in support of their request that the accused remain in custody until 16 July, presented testimony that on the previous Sunday, when he finished work, the father went to buy alcohol instead of returning home. "Had he gone home earlier, the tragedy would probably have been avoided," the police witness told the court. The defence disputed this position. The court found there was a risk of the accused absconding and ordered that he remain in custody until 16 July.
The investigation
The father and stepmother were remanded in custody for three days by the SBA court, which found sufficient grounds to keep them in detention while investigations continued. Investigators examined a camera installed in the area to determine whether it had recorded the children's final movements, and inspected the vehicle itself, with early findings suggesting the car's windows may have been electronically operated, potentially trapping the children once they were inside.
German forensic and technical experts were subsequently brought in to assist the investigation, with authorities examining whether an electronic locking system may have played a role in the deaths. Postmortem examinations did not immediately establish a definitive cause of death, with police saying further testing, including additional forensic and toxicological analysis, would be required. Investigators also reviewed electronic devices belonging to the children's father and stepmother, seizing mobile phones for forensic examination to retrieve messages, photographs and location data.
The stepmother has since been released, while the father was due to appear before the British bases court. Following the end of the remand period, he has now been formally charged.
