Man facing child abuse charges was on bail when he allegedly attacked partner again

Local Crimedomestic violencesexual abuseTop News Man facing child abuse charges was on bail when he allegedly attacked partner again Filakes 1536x896 1 Relevant News Man facing child abuse charges was on bail when he allegedly attacked partner again 18 September 2026 Mavroyiannis says polls put him in first place ahead of 2028 presidential race 18 September 2026 Queer Wave film festival opens tonight bringing 50 Cyprus premieres to Nicosia 18 September 2026 Panayiota Charalambous 18 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A man already facing charges of child sexual abuse and distributing pornographic material was out on bail, under restrictive conditions, when he allegedly went on to commit a string of new domestic violence offences against his partner, Cyprus’s Court of Appeal has found. The Court of Appeal ordered the man held in custody until his trial begins, overturning a lower court decision that had released him under restrictive conditions in this domestic violence case. The unanimous ruling came after the Attorney General appealed the Nicosia District Court’s original decision. The man faces 11 charges related to serious domestic violence, violence against women, harassment and causing actual bodily harm. Most of the charges concern his partner, with one additional count of malicious damage to her mother’s home. The alleged offences span a wide period, from July 2024 to August 2026. A history of serious pending cases At the initial hearing before the Nicosia District Court on September 3, 2026, prosecutors had sought pre-trial detention, citing both flight risk and the risk of further offences. To support the request, they presented evidence of the complainant’s deteriorating health, including that she was on medication for anxiety. They also pointed to the defendant’s criminal record. He had previous convictions for theft and malicious damage, and three other serious cases were pending against him at the time, including the 2025 case involving charges of child sexual abuse and distributing pornographic material, as well as cases involving thefts of high-value items. Despite this evidence, the District Court rejected the detention request. Among other factors, it took into account sworn statements from the complainant withdrawing her complaint and saying she didn’t wish to testify against him. The court also found that flight risk hadn’t been established, and imposed financial and restrictive conditions instead, including exclusion orders and a ban on contact with the victim and her mother. Court of Appeal: offending while on bail is a red flag The Attorney General challenged that decision. The Court of Appeal, made up of Judges M. Ambiza, S. Christodoulidou-Messiou and I. Stylianidou, quashed the lower court’s order. Judge Christodoulidou-Messiou read out the panel’s decision. The Court of Appeal found that the risk of reoffending was obvious. It noted that the alleged offences in this case took place while the man was already subject to restrictive conditions in the other serious cases pending against him, including the child abuse case. The court cited case law establishing that committing new offences while released under conditions significantly increases the likelihood of reoffending. The court also made clear that the complainant’s later withdrawal of her complaint had no bearing on the assessment of the risk he posed. Crime prevention and assessing a defendant’s tendency towards offending, the court said, are based on the overall evidence in the case and his history, not on whether the victim intends to testify at trial. Having found this risk of reoffending, the Court of Appeal said there was no need to examine the flight-risk question separately, since establishing just one of the grounds for detention is sufficient. It ordered the immediate cancellation of the restrictive conditions and exclusion orders, and remanded the man in custody. He is due back before the Nicosia District Court on September 21, 2026, to answer the charges. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Mavroyiannis says polls put him in first place ahead of 2028 presidential race Queer Wave film festival opens tonight bringing 50 Cyprus premieres to Nicosia Larnaca, Aradippou flooding turns roads into rivers as storm hits Cyprus unveils nine Christmas Villages for the 2026 festive season Overnight pharmacies on Friday, September 18 CY-Alert “unnecessary” for many, Civil Defence says, as storms disrupt flights in west From Pentadaktylos to the forests of Wales Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.