Psychological state alone does not bar detention, lawyer says on Paphos toddler death case

Local deathPaphospoliceTop Newsuk Psychological state alone does not bar detention, lawyer says on Paphos toddler death case Psychological State Alone Does Not Bar Detention, Lawyer Says On Paphos Toddler Death Case Relevant News Ecologists call for action over repeated animal shootings in Nicosia 14 July 2026 Psychological state alone does not bar detention, lawyer says on Paphos toddler death case 14 July 2026 Spotted owlets perch on a wall near Kathmandu 14 July 2026 Newsroom 14 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A suspect’s difficult psychological state is not on its own grounds to avoid or lift detention, criminal lawyer Andreas Christou said on Tuesday, commenting on the case of a British three-year-old boy’s death in Paphos. Christou said the current legal framework does not provide for different treatment on detention even where the suspect is a parent who has lost their child. “No, nothing like that could happen,” he said, adding that a person’s psychological state is not grounds to alter their detention status. He noted, however, that detention does not prevent a suspect from receiving necessary medical or psychiatric care. If such support is requested, the state is obliged to make the necessary arrangements without delay, including hospital treatment or care at another specialised facility, he said. Christou said Cypriot law does not provide for special treatment on detention in cases of this kind, adding that once a person is criminally responsible, standard criminal procedures apply. He said the fact that the suspect is the child’s father does not change the institutional framework governing the criminal process. Explaining the legal distinction between negligence and intent, Christou said that where a death results from negligent conduct, the criminal treatment differs from that applied to intentional homicide, since what is punished is the failure to take the proper measures to prevent the death, not an intention to cause it. On the likely charge, Christou said the case falls under Article 210 of the Criminal Code, which concerns negligent, reckless, careless and dangerous conduct resulting in death. He said the maximum sentence under the article is four years in prison, though the court may, depending on the circumstances, impose a suspended sentence or a fine. “The prison sentence may not be immediate,” he said, citing the case of 16-year-old Panayiotis Stefanis, who died in April 2019, in which those found guilty of causing death by negligence received suspended sentences. Asked about possible liability on the hotel’s part, Christou said the matter would need to be investigated by the criminal investigation authorities, including whether adequate safety measures were in place to prevent a young child from gaining access. “If so, then liability might potentially be sought from the owners of the specific hotel, or from those who ultimately left the window open,” he concluded. Background The British family had arrived in Paphos for their holiday the day before the incident and had been due to stay at the hotel in the Chloraka coastal area until July 25. At 6pm, according to Police investigations, the boy was playing with his father in the corridor on the fourth floor, where their room was located, when, under circumstances still under investigation, he fell through an open corridor window. The boy landed on the hotel’s main veranda on the first floor and was fatally injured. An ambulance was called to the scene, but when paramedics arrived they found the child was not responding. He was taken to Paphos General Hospital, where doctors on duty pronounced him dead. The scene was cordoned off by CID Paphos officers, who began investigating the circumstances that led to the incident. Statements were taken, while authorities are also examining hotel camera footage. According to philenews information, some of the footage appears to show the boy falling at 6:02pm. The British couple have another child, a five-year-old girl, who is also with them on the holiday. The mother’s parents are also in Paphos with the couple. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Ecologists call for action over repeated animal shootings in Nicosia Spotted owlets perch on a wall near Kathmandu Limassol man found carrying 13 bullets in bag while trying to enter court European Commission wants 13+ age restriction for social media Unions sound alarm over illegal sub-renting of foreign workers On this day: Parisian crowd storms the Bastille, igniting the French Revolution in 1789 Vandals cut chains with angle grinder to park on Mackenzie beach Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.