The investigation into a prison rape case has faced significant delays after the key witness failed to appear for questioning. Despite numerous efforts by both the criminal investigator and the defence lawyer to secure his testimony, it emerged that the witness had been arrested by the police as a suspect in another criminal case.
The case involves a rape allegation at the Central Prisons, with two individuals—a convict and a released inmate—charged with serious crimes, including conspiracy to commit a felony and rape, under the Criminal Code. The two men are accused of sexually assaulting their fellow inmate on August 15 and 16, 2025, in their cell at the Central Prisons.
Allegations of prison negligence
Beyond the rape charges, the victim’s lawyer, Lito Kariolou, had raised concerns with the Attorney General about potential negligence on the part of the prison authorities, particularly regarding their failure to act swiftly on her client’s request for a cell change. In response, Attorney General George Savvides appointed two criminal investigators to examine the circumstances and actions taken following the complaint of abuse. One of the investigators was Andreas Paschalidis, president of the Independent Authority for Investigating Allegations and Complaints Against the Police, and the other was former police officer Agamenon Dimitriou, who later requested to be excused from the case.
Witness testimony issues
Paschalidis began investigating the claims made by the victim’s lawyer and called the complainant for questioning. Efforts were made to facilitate the witness’s appearance, and at one point, while the witness was present to give his testimony, the lawyer requested a virtual hearing due to logistical issues. However, technical problems led to the cancellation of the session.
A new date was arranged for last week to take the victim’s testimony in the presence of his lawyer, but once again, the witness did not appear. Despite efforts to locate him, the meeting was cancelled. Later, it was confirmed that the witness had been arrested by the police along with another individual, and the investigation was being handled by the Latsi police station. This development led the criminal investigator to seek further instructions from the Attorney General on how to proceed with the investigation, given that the primary witness had yet to testify.
Changes in the investigation team
It is noteworthy that the initial investigation into the rape allegation has changed hands multiple times due to complaints from the victim’s lawyer. Initially, the Nicosia CID handled the investigation, followed by a special unit at the Police Headquarters, and later another investigator was assigned to the case.