Father to face court today over Xylofagou boys’ deaths

Local British BasesbulgariadeathFamagustapoliceTop News Father to face court today over Xylofagou boys’ deaths Father To Face Court Today Over Xylofagou Boys' Deaths Relevant News Father to face court today over Xylofagou boys’ deaths 2 July 2026 Officer given recommendations days before Limassol wife shooting, sources say 2 July 2026 Things to do on Thursday, July 2 2 July 2026 Natasa Christoforou 2 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Investigators from the British Sovereign Base Areas are in the advanced stages of establishing the cause of death of two Bulgarian boys, aged 8 and 10, found dead in a car on Sunday afternoon. The cause of death remains open, but CCTV footage tracking the boys’ movements and findings inside the car have given the investigation a clear direction, according to information from competent sources. For this reason, only the boys’ 30-year-old father is due to appear before Dhekelia Court today at noon, on suspicion of negligence, after he went to work on Sunday morning leaving the two boys unsupervised. His 38-year-old partner, who is not the children’s legal guardian, was released yesterday at noon without restrictive conditions, the British Bases said. The two children appear to have been playing in the yard before entering the vehicle, which belongs to the 38-year-old woman, and became trapped inside, resulting in their deaths. They were found unconscious in the back seat by their father’s partner on Sunday afternoon. The car was examined last Tuesday by experts, including specialists from a car dealership who travelled from Nicosia. Philenews reported yesterday that the examination found damage to one of the rear doors, which had remained unlocked despite the car being locked. The two brothers entered through that door but became trapped inside after the child safety lock was activated. Motion-activated CCTV footage, heard during the remand hearing of the father and his partner before Dhekelia Court, shows the boys playing in a nearby field before entering the car and continuing to play. The footage then freezes and the recording stops. Asphyxiation remains the leading theory as to the cause of death, since, according to information, the boys were locked in the car for more than three hours during a period of intense heat. However, the British Bases are keeping the cause of death open pending the results of histopathological tests on samples taken from the two boys by Greek forensic pathologist Manolis Sakelliades, according to information. In a statement issued yesterday, the British Bases said that with investigations still active, police could not comment further on the circumstances of the deaths, including the cause of death, nor could they provide information at this stage on the children’s bodies or funeral arrangements. The Bases said they remained committed to a thorough and professional investigation and would provide further information when appropriate, and asked that the privacy of the family and all those affected by the incident be respected during this extremely difficult period. Meanwhile, the transfer of the two boys’ bodies to Bulgaria was decided yesterday, at the state’s expense, according to a government source. Earlier, the Xylofagou community council, through its president Giorgos Ioulianos, expressed its intention to launch a fundraiser today to raise money for the return of the children’s bodies to their home country. “A great many people have contacted us wanting to help,” Ioulianos said, noting that the matter would be discussed at today’s council meeting. It is noted that the two children had arrived in Cyprus in mid-May, accompanied by relatives, for a holiday with their father, who works in Limassol. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Officer given recommendations days before Limassol wife shooting, sources say Things to do on Thursday, July 2 Cyprus temperatures to hit 37C on Thursday Three people die in Mexico World Cup celebrations as fans crowd streets No more cash for rent, from today a permanent switch to electronic payment Cyprus state to fund repatriation of Xylophagou car deaths children Canada to participate in 2027 Eurovision Song Contest Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.