A British father is set to return to Cyprus to face court over the death of his two-year-old son, who fell 33ft from a hotel window on the first day of a family holiday.
The 37-year-old is due to fly back to the island on Monday after being temporarily allowed to return to the UK to bury his little boy and reunite with his wife and daughter. He is accused of causing death by a rash, reckless or dangerous act following the tragedy at the King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos on July 12. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison.
Legal challenge to prosecution
His legal team recently asked Cyprus’s Attorney General George Savvides to bring the prosecution to an end on public interest and humanitarian grounds.
Lawyer Alexandros Alexandrou said: “We have asked the attorney-general to discontinue this prosecution on public interest and humanitarian grounds. In these exceptional circumstances we do not believe a continued criminal process serves the public interest.
“The family has already suffered an unimaginable loss, and the focus now should be on their welfare and recovery.”
A source close to the family told The Times: “This continues to be deeply traumatic for the family. They have lost their child in the most horrific circumstances, and nothing can undo that.
“This was a tragic accident and prolonging the criminal process adds nothing but more suffering to the parents, who need to be together to support each other and their surviving child.”
Details of the incident
The family had only arrived in Cyprus hours earlier when the toddler fell from a fourth-floor window. The father is believed to have placed his son on a windowsill while they waited for a lift, thinking the window was closed.
Investigators have said they believe he may not have realised it was open. However, the circumstances surrounding the fall remain disputed. Prosecutors allege the father had been swinging the youngster from side to side before he fell but he denied the allegation.
The father was arrested at the resort and held on remand for eight days before being charged and released on bail. During his detention, he and his wife had to explain their son’s death to their young daughter during a video call from his cell.
Return to court and family impact
He was later granted a temporary exemption from a travel ban on humanitarian grounds, allowing him to return to the UK for his son’s funeral with more than 100 mourners attended the service at the end of August. But he must now leave his wife and daughter again as he returns to Cyprus ahead of his court appearance on Thursday.
A friend of the family said: "He really doesn’t want to leave [his wife and daughter], but he knows he has no choice."
The father, who works for a Big Four consultancy firm, put up £25,750 in bail and was ordered to pay a further £8,500 deposit to ensure his return to Cyprus for the start of proceedings. His employer is continuing to stand by him.
A friend of the family described the toddler as a “truly special easy-going little boy who brought joy to everyone around him.”
The family’s daughter has since returned to school and started Year One. A friend said: "Everyone was nervous about her going back to school, but it has gone smoothly and the school has been hugely supportive."
The case has also brought fresh scrutiny to the King Evelthon Hotel after it emerged the toddler was the third British tourist to die at the resort since 2022.
