A British father has pleaded guilty in Cyprus to causing the death of his two-year-old son through a “rash, reckless and dangerous act”, after the toddler fell from a fourth-floor hotel window.
Josh Foster, 37, entered the plea at Paphos district court on Tuesday, about 10 weeks after the child died following the fall at the King Evelthon hotel near Paphos.
The court adjourned the case until 5 October for sentencing. The maximum penalty is four years in prison.
Father accepted charge
Foster’s lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, said his client accepted the charge to avoid a prolonged criminal trial that would require the family to repeatedly revisit the child’s death.
Foster had previously been granted bail of €30,000 to return to the UK for his son’s funeral. He was later required to return to Cyprus and surrender his passport.
The defence had also asked Cyprus’s attorney general, George Savvides, to discontinue the criminal proceedings on humanitarian grounds. That request was rejected, with prosecutors saying the death meant there was a public interest in continuing the case.
Questions over hotel window
The child fell from a window along a corridor leading towards a lift. Foster has said he placed his son on the windowsill without realising the window was open.
The toddler fell backwards and suffered fatal head injuries after falling about 10 metres onto a veranda.
The case has prompted debate in Cyprus about how authorities handle accidental deaths involving children and whether greater attention should be given to the safety conditions surrounding such incidents.
Legal debate in Cyprus
Human rights lawyer Achilleas Demetriades has criticised aspects of Cyprus’s legal system, arguing that the attorney general has broad discretion over decisions to continue or discontinue criminal proceedings.
The case is due back before the Paphos district court on 5 October, when the judge is expected to consider sentencing.
Source: The Guardian
