The 37-year-old father of a three-year-old child, who tragically lost his life on July 12, when he fell from a height while the family was on vacation at a hotel in Chloraka.
The defendant’s return to his home country was made possible following the decision by the Paphos District Court to grant the request of his defense attorney, Alexandros Alexandros, to temporarily lift the restrictive conditions and return his travel documents so that he could attend his son’s funeral. The 37-year-old faces a charge of causing death by reckless, careless, or dangerous conduct.
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Read more: “This is all I want”: What the father of the 3-year-old who “passed away” in Paphos has to say
“There’s also the humanitarian aspect”
Speaking on state radio, the 37-year-old’s attorney, Alexandros Alexandrou, confirmed his client’s departure from Cyprus, highlighting the humanitarian consideration shown by the judicial and prosecutorial authorities.
“My client, after his travel documents were returned, was able to leave the country. He has returned to his homeland, the United Kingdom. I have spoken with him; he has now been reunited with his family, and they are making arrangements for the burial of his minor child,” said Mr. Alexandrou, adding that “Not everything is a legal matter; not everything is a question of strictly enforcing the law. There is also a humanitarian aspect to every case, which the court and the Attorney General’s Office rightly recognized. They took this aspect into account so that my client could travel to the United Kingdom to attend his child’s funeral.”
The Psychological State and the Legal Proceedings
At the same time, the defense attorney described the father’s severe psychological state, emphasizing that his temporary return was also necessary for the smooth progress of the legal proceedings.
“He is in a very poor emotional state. He is a man who cannot follow the entire trial process with a clear mind. For this reason, it was prudent on the part of the Office of the Attorney General as well as the court to approve this request. That way, when he returns, he will be able to understand where we stand, what the implications and procedures are, so that he can provide the appropriate guidance and assist both the proceedings and himself,” he noted.
Mr. Alexandrou did not hide his own emotional distress, describing the case as perhaps the most difficult of his career from a psychological standpoint: “This is a very tragic event. This is a family that has been coming to Cyprus every year for the past 10 to 15 years for vacation. They loved Cyprus and still do. Unfortunately, this incident occurred, which has shaken the entire island.”
The court’s decision deeply moved the family, which, in a statement, expressed its relief that it can now begin the “heart-wrenching process” of organizing the funeral.
After the proceedings at the Paphos District Court concluded, there were some deeply moving moments. The 37-year-old embraced his mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably, and as he was leaving, he approached the representative of the Prosecution, Chryso Perganti, whispering a “thank you” to her for not objecting to his request.
In his first public statements, visibly moved, the father said: “I am very grateful to the judge and the authorities who allowed me to return home to my wife and daughter. That is the only thing I want to do right now.”
