The 30-year-old Bulgarian father of two boys, aged 8 and 10, found dead in a car on Sunday afternoon, has been committed to trial and charged before Dhekelia Court with two counts of causing death by a reckless and careless act.
The children had been left unsupervised after their father left for work in Limassol on Sunday morning, followed shortly after by his 38-year-old partner, who was initially arrested but released unconditionally yesterday.
Investigators from the British Sovereign Base Areas’ Criminal Investigation Department (CID) decided to bring only the father before court, as he is the children’s legal guardian.
Seeking the father’s remand, the prosecution representative said there was testimony indicating he finished work, went shopping, and did not return home immediately.
His lawyer, Andriana Klaidi, disputed this position. The next hearing was set for July 16.
CCTV footage has shown the boys playing in the yard before continuing their game in the car, where they remained for more than three hours after entering through an open rear door, later found by experts to be faulty despite the vehicle being locked.
They are believed to have become trapped after the child safety lock activated, and were found unconscious by their father’s partner after 5:30pm on Sunday.
Asphyxiation remains the leading theory as to the cause of death, though the Bases are keeping this open pending test results from Greek forensic pathologist Manolis Sakelliades.
The boys had arrived in Cyprus in mid-May with relatives for a holiday with their father. The state will cover the cost of returning their bodies to Bulgaria, a government source said yesterday.