Developments are unfolding behind the scenes regarding the N.T. case and her rape allegation, following the subsequent conviction of Cyprus by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for violating her rights by suspending the criminal prosecution against a political figure.
The Legal Service, following a request from N.T.’s lawyer, Lito Kariolou, has handed over all the testimonial material from the rape allegation case. This will allow the lawyer to study the material and decide what advice to ultimately give her client.
It is recalled that following Cyprus’s ECHR conviction in this case, the possibility of reopening the case was examined. However, the consent of N.T. is required for her to appear and testify in court in any potential future trial. Her lawyer requested to study all the details of the case, and she is now expected, after reviewing all the evidence, to inform her client and provide guidance on the next steps.
Simultaneously, according to Phileleftheros‘s information, the Legal Service, which studied the ECHR decision and the case file, gave instructions to the Police for further action regarding the case.
The actions will relate to certain issues and aspects of the case deemed necessary to address, so that if the affected woman decides to pursue a new criminal prosecution, the prosecution authorities will be ready to proceed. New evidence is expected to be gathered now so that the Legal Service is prepared in the event of a new prosecution.
Developments in the case are expected in early 2026, as various processes are still pending, and everything ultimately depends on the decision of the affected woman.
The European Court of Human Rights, in a decision dated July 3, 2025, condemned Cyprus in the rape allegation case following the application of N.T. v. Cyprus (no. 28150/22). The applicant, N.T., a Cypriot national born in 1992 and a resident of Larnaca, sought justice regarding the investigation of her rape allegations.
In 2021, she reported to the Police that she had been raped ten years earlier, at the age of 18, by a classmate. The Police immediately launched an investigation and filed charges against the alleged perpetrator. However, the Assistant Attorney General, Savvas Angelides, ultimately decided to halt the criminal proceedings in December 2021.
This decision was based primarily on alleged inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony, as well as her admission that she liked the alleged perpetrator, with whom she had previously been in a relationship, and that she might have sent him “mixed signals.”
The applicant, invoking Articles 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), 8 (right to respect for private life), and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights, complained that the Cypriot Authorities failed to effectively investigate and prosecute her rape allegations. Furthermore, she argued that the Authorities failed to adopt a victim-sensitive approach, exposing her to secondary victimisation and discrimination.
The ECHR found a violation of Article 3 (regarding the investigation), Article 8, and Article 14 in conjunction with Articles 3 and 8, and awarded the applicant €20,000 for non-pecuniary damages and €15,470 for costs.
Following the conviction and the storm of reactions against the Assistant Attorney General, he stated that his decision to suspend the prosecution was based on new evidence and the reasoning that if the case failed in Court, it would send the wrong message, discouraging other victims from reporting such cases. He rejected calls for his resignation.