A British father is scheduled to appear in court in Cyprus on Monday to face charges concerning the death of his two-year-old son. The toddler died after falling from a hotel window in Paphos on July 12.
The 37-year-old banking executive has been accused of causing death by a rash, reckless or dangerous act. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to four years.
The incident occurred on the first day of the family's holiday at the King Evelthon Hotel. According to reports, the father placed his son on a fourth-floor windowsill while waiting for a lift, believing the window was secured. The child fell approximately 33 feet to his death.
The father was held in custody for eight days before being formally charged. He was released on bail of £25,750, with a temporary travel ban lifted for one month on humanitarian grounds to allow him to return to the UK for his son's funeral.
This marks the third death of a British guest at the King Evelthon Hotel in the past four years. However, authorities have reportedly focused their investigation on the father, rather than the hotel itself, which is owned by an influential Cypriot family.
The father's exemption from the travel ban expires on Monday, when he is required to surrender his passport in Cyprus. A friend of the family stated that he is reluctant to leave his wife and daughter but understands he has no alternative.
The reprieve allowed him to briefly reunite with his wife, a 38-year-old health professional, and their daughter. The couple's son was buried in late August, with more than 100 mourners attending the service. The daughter recently began Year One at school.
During the father's detention, the couple had to explain their son's death to their daughter via video call from his jail cell. A friend noted that school staff have been very supportive.
The family's lawyer in Cyprus, Alexandros Alexandrou, has appealed to the island's attorney general, George Savvides, to dismiss the case on humanitarian grounds. The father's employer, a member of one of the 'Big Four' accounting firms, has expressed continued support for him.