The court of the British Bases of Dhekelia ordered the three-day detention of the 30-year-old father and 38-year-old stepmother of the two children who were found dead in a vehicle in the village of Xylofagou on Sunday, as part of an investigation into a case of negligent driving. In the meantime, the British Bases police, in cooperation with the Bulgarian police, contacted the mother of the two children.
Investigators are continuing their investigations intensively, examining CCTV footage, the suspects' mobile phones and the vehicle itself. The court ruled that there was no risk of witness tampering, but decided to detain the two individuals due to the possibility of their escape, as they have no ties to Cyprus. At the same time, the results of the autopsy on the bodies of the two children are awaited, while the investigations are in full swing.
The British Base Police in Dhekelia requested that four-day detention orders be issued for the two suspects. The defense attorney for the 38-year-old did not object. The defense attorney for the 30-year-old did object.
The Crime Investigation Officer of the British Police Base Dhekelia stated that the Police's investigative work is ongoing and that the material received from the closed circuit surveillance related to the case will be examined. The audiovisual material is large and of poor quality, so it must be sent for further analysis. The images show the two children playing inside the vehicle, as reported.
A technical examination of the vehicle will be carried out to determine if there is a malfunction in the mechanism by which the car doors are locked. The Police will also consult with the vehicle manufacturer.
According to what was said, approximately 25 more statements will need to be taken from people living in homes around the scene where the two children were found dead. Due to the fact that most of them are foreigners, the Police said that an interpreter will be needed.
The mobile phones of the two suspects will also be examined. Specifically, their calls, messages, locations, audiovisual material, internet searches and their actions on Social Media will be examined.
It was also reported that a doctor will arrive in Cyprus this afternoon to examine the two bodies of the young children.
The suspect's defense attorney, Andriana Klaidi, in the context of the objection she brought to keep her client in custody, stated that the car is in the Police's possession, therefore the suspect cannot alter anything, the same applies to the audiovisual material from the closed circuit surveillance since it is in the hands of the Police. In relation to the statements of the two suspects, no one can intervene since it is in the possession of the Police and the bodies of the two children are in the morgue, where the suspect also does not have access, she noted. Therefore, she stated that there is no reason for concern regarding the possibility of influencing the witness material.
The investigator in the case stated that 25 more statements will be taken from the friends and family of the two suspects and that they may attempt to influence testimonies.
In his decision, the judge stated, among other things, that "I know that this issue is of a very sensitive nature," adding that no one has been charged.
He stated that "in accordance with Article 30 of the British Bases legislation, it is accepted that an investigation is being conducted in relation to the death of the two children, an offence of negligent conduct. It is accepted that the two suspects have been arrested for the investigation of the case. They are not charged but are subject to investigation at this stage," he said.
The judge stated that he was "not satisfied, in relation to the evidence, that it is likely or possible that the suspects would intervene because the material is in the possession of the Police. I understand the cautious approach of the Police and accept that any person may be affected. According to the evidence in my possession there is no such risk."
He noted that "the police took the necessary and required measures to handle the case."
Regarding whether there is a risk that the two suspects will escape from the British Bases, he stated that "there are reasonable reasons for them to do so since, as he said, there is no way of returning if they escape, since they have no ties to Cyprus and the British Bases."
The judge said that he "took seriously into account that this is a very serious case and wants to proactively prevent the possibility of the two suspects escaping."
He added that "many questions will need to be answered in relation to the case" and therefore proceeded to issue detention orders for the two suspects for a period of 3 days.
At the end of his decision, addressing journalists, the judge stated that "we should not proceed to popular courts or trials through the mass media." He stated that the two are suspects, have not been charged, and there has been no trial." He noted that the public interest does not proceed from speculation and theories that have no basis.
Source: KYPE
