The District Court of Pafos has fined on Friday a 37-year-old British father pound 3,000 in connection with the tragic death of his 3-year-old son, who fell from a hotel window in Chloraka.
Following the sentencing on the first charge, the 37-year-old was released, whilst the remaining amount of the bail he had paid during the legal proceedings is expected to be refunded.
The 37-year-old awaited the announcement of the sentence, with his parents and other relatives by his side. As the judgement was read out, when the Presiding Judge referred once again to the circumstances that led to the child’s death, the defendant was visibly moved, trying to hold back his tears.
In the reasoning behind the verdict, the President spoke of a ‘momentary lapse’ that led to the tragedy, rather than a deliberate act. At the same time, she emphasised the gravity of the incident, noting that this was a loss and a tragedy that will haunt the father for the rest of his life.
Lawyer Alexandros Alexandrou, defence counsel for the 37-year-old, described the fine imposed as the lowest possible under the Criminal Code for this specific offence, arguing that it reflects the minimal degree of culpability which, as he stated, the defence had demonstrated before the Court.
As he explained, the Court accepted the defence’s arguments that this was a momentary lapse of judgement, without gross negligence or indifference to the child’s safety. At the same time, he thanked the judge for the way in which she handled the case from the outset, noting that she has approached and assessed it with care and respect for the human tragedy underlying it.
Alexandrou added that, in his view, this particular case should not have come before the courts, noting that the defence had requested the suspension of criminal proceedings against his client, a request which was not granted. As he said, during the three months of the court proceedings, the 37-year-old lost valuable time that could have been.
For his part, the 37-year-old British man thanked his lawyer for his support and said he was looking forward to returning home with his wife and daughter.