The trial of a 37-year-old British man charged over the death of his three-year-old son is due to continue today before the Paphos District Court, with the defendant expected to formally state whether he admits or denies the charge against him.
The father is accused of causing the child's death through a reckless, careless or dangerous act following a fatal fall from a hotel window in Paphos.
Plea expected today
The hearing, scheduled for 9am on 17 September, is expected to focus on the defendant's response to the charge.
According to a previous court ruling, he is due to indicate whether he pleads guilty or not guilty, a key step in the proceedings.
Return from UK
The defendant had been permitted to travel to the United Kingdom after the court temporarily suspended the restrictive conditions imposed on him.
The suspension allowed him to attend his son's funeral and deal with legal and administrative matters in his capacity as the child's guardian.
The temporary relaxation of the conditions ran from 7 August until 14 September.
Bail conditions reinstated
From 15 September, the original conditions were reinstated, including:
- A €20,000 financial guarantee.
- A ban on leaving the Republic of Cyprus.
- Surrender of travel documents.
- Weekly reporting to Paphos Police Station.
During the previous hearing, the prosecution did not object to the temporary suspension of the conditions, although it requested additional safeguards to ensure the defendant's return to Cyprus and the swift progression of the case.
Fatal hotel fall
The case concerns the death of a three-year-old boy who fell from a height of approximately 10 metres at a hotel in Paphos during the family's first day of holiday in Cyprus.
According to information presented before the court, the father allegedly placed the child on a fourth-floor window ledge while waiting for a lift, believing the window was closed.
The window was allegedly open, resulting in the child falling.
The 37-year-old was arrested and remained in custody for eight days before being formally charged. He was subsequently released on bail subject to conditions.
Family seeks withdrawal of case
The family's lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, has previously appealed to Attorney General George Savvides to withdraw the prosecution on humanitarian grounds.
Today's proceedings are expected to determine how the defendant intends to contest the charge and set the course for the next stage of the case.
