Cyprus Court of Appeal upholds prison sentences for child sex abuse

The Cyprus Court of Appeal has unanimously dismissed an appeal by the Attorney General, upholding the initial prison sentences of seven and four years for a man convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Limassol. The defendant had been found guilty of engaging in a sexual act with a child under 13 and causing a child to witness sexual acts. While the appellate judges noted that the sentences were "particularly lenient" and reached the absolute limit of the permissible legal range, they ruled that the original Limassol Criminal Court had properly weighed all aggravating and mitigating factors without committing any error of principle.

The offences occurred in 2018. The perpetrator, a neighbour who was a friend of the victim's father, had been entrusted with the girl's care while her parents were working. The prosecution had argued that the original sentence was "manifestly inadequate," contending that the lower court failed to give sufficient weight to the severity of the crimes, the vulnerability of the victim, and the long-term psychological damage caused. Despite these arguments, the Court of Appeal concluded that there were no legal grounds to intervene or increase the duration of the incarceration.