Experts from a car dealership who examined the car in which two Bulgarian brothers, aged 8 and 10, were found dead in Xylofagou identified a fault in the rear door that left it unlocked despite the vehicle having been locked, according to information gathered by philenews. The dealership experts, who travelled from Nicosia, carried out the examination on Tuesday.
It was through this door that the two boys entered the car, according to the same information. However, they became locked inside after the child safety lock had also been activated, trapping them in the vehicle.
Cause of death still open pending tests
The leading scenario for the cause of death remains asphyxiation, after the boys were locked in the car for more than three hours. This remains open at this stage, pending histopathological tests on samples taken from the two brothers’ bodies during autopsies carried out by forensic pathologist Manolis Sakelliades, who travelled from Greece.
Motion-activated CCTV footage previously showed the boys playing in a field before entering the car and continuing to play, at which point the footage freezes.
Custody decision expected later today
The 30-year-old father and his 38-year-old partner, to whom the car belongs, have been arrested in connection with the case. The Sovereign Base Areas are expected to decide later today whether both will be brought before Dhekelia Court or only the father, who is a suspect in the negligence offence after the children were left unsupervised at home. The 38-year-old had found the children unconscious in the car on Sunday afternoon when she returned home.
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