Court upholds man’s conviction for sexual abuse of minor

A man convicted for sexual offences against a minor has seen his appeal dismissed by the court of appeal, which upheld the prison sentences of eight months to three years imposed by the Limassol criminal court. In a July 9 ruling made public on Tuesday, the court of appeal said the man had been found guilty in October 2024 on seven counts of sexual abuse of a minor and eight for indecent assault against a minor between 1996 and 2003, in the Limassol district. The man questioned his conviction and sentences, saying the girl’s testimony had been dismissed as unreliable and untrue, and that the police investigation had been inadequate. The court of appeal, however, said the criminal court had justified its ruling and had determined that his actions were “methodical and discreet” so as not to be perceptible by other students. The complainant’s testimony, it said, had been correctly accepted as reliable and had not been brought into question by any other statement. The court furthermore said the police had not failed to fully investigate the case. It furthermore said the criminal court had found inconsistencies in the man’s verbal statement to the police and his testimony, as well as attempts to create a negative impression of the girl and attribute ulterior motives to her.