The Court of Appeals increased the prison sentences of a man convicted of sexually abusing two minors, ruling that the original sentences were insufficient given the seriousness of the crimes. The longest sentence remained at 11 years in prison, while the sentences for other charges were increased following an appeal by the Attorney General of the Republic.
In a decision dated October 15, 2026, the Court of Appeals rejected the convicted person’s appeal both against his conviction and against the sentences imposed on him by the Limassol Criminal Court. In contrast, it upheld the appeal of the Attorney General, who argued that the sentences did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offenses.
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According to the ruling, the offenses were committed in Limassol in 2016, when the two children, then aged five and seven, were staying with their family at the convicted man’s residence, where he was hosting them. As noted, the trial court reached several conclusions, the most significant of which are that the complainants were children particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse, the defendant held a position of trust, authority, and influence over the complainants, and in the mornings he was left alone with the minors since their mother had entrusted him with their care.
At the same time, it is noted that, by abusing his position on numerous occasions over the course of one month, when he was left alone with the minors in his home, he engaged in sexual acts with both of these children.
The Criminal Court imposed prison sentences ranging from three to eleven years, and ordered that they be served concurrently.
The Court of Appeals noted that, in determining the sentence, greater weight should have been given to the children’s age and vulnerability, the abuse of a position of trust, the repeated commission of the offenses, and the consequences for the victims.
“We consider the sentences imposed in these counts to be manifestly inadequate, given their disproportion to the seriousness of the case at hand,” the Court of Appeals stated.
It also noted that the acts had serious negative consequences for the children and that the need to deter similar offenses necessitates the imposition of severe penalties. As noted in the decision, “the protection of the legal right to childhood from behaviors that violate the innocence of childhood takes precedence.”
In its ruling, the Court of Appeals increased, among other things, the prison sentences for specific charges from seven to eight years, from four to eight years, and from nine to eleven years. The eleven-year sentence imposed for one of the charges remained unchanged. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning they will be served at the same time, with the term of imprisonment calculated starting in May 2023, when the defendant was taken into custody in connection with this case.
The Court of Appeals rejected the convicted person’s claims that the testimony was not properly evaluated and that the sentences were excessive. At the same time, it upheld the first-instance ruling regarding the remaining measures, including a 15-year ban on providing services to children or working in places where children are present or frequent.
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