A British father, detained in Cyprus, is experiencing profound distress following the accidental death of his two-year-old son, who fell from a hotel window on July 12. His lawyer has formally requested his immediate release from custody.
The toddler was on the fourth floor of a seaside hotel in Chloraka, near Paphos, with his father when the tragic accident occurred. The child was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The father, 37, was arrested hours after the incident on suspicion of 'causing death through negligence, reckless and dangerous actions' and was subsequently held in custody for eight days. Local Cypriot media have reportedly criticized the decision to detain the father, characterizing it as unreasonable for what they consider a clear accident.
The family is seeking the father's release so he can be with his wife to inform their five-year-old daughter about her brother's death. To date, the daughter has only been told her brother is in the hospital.
Petros Stavrou, the father's lawyer, has sent a letter to the Cypriot Police Headquarters demanding his client's release. Stavrou argues that continued detention exacerbates the severe psychological trauma already being experienced by the father and his family. He highlighted that the father appeared before Paphos District Court on Monday in a state of extreme emotional distress and without legal representation, which prevented him from objecting to his detention.
According to Stavrou, the father's mental health is deteriorating due to his continued incarceration. He asserts that the father has fully cooperated with authorities, and all witness statements have been collected, rendering further detention unnecessary for investigative purposes. To alleviate any concerns about the father being a flight risk, Stavrou has offered to surrender all travel documents and stated that his client is willing to report to the police daily and inform them of his whereabouts.
The family, accompanied by the boy's grandparents, were on the first day of their two-week holiday when the incident took place.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.