The Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously decided to increase the prison sentence of a man who was found guilty of sexual abuse from four and a half to ten years, after accepting an appeal filed by the Attorney General claiming that an insufficient prison sentence was previously imposed by the Nicosia criminal court.

In a statement published by the Legal Service, the sentence bestowed upon the person found guilty was not reflective of the relevant legislative regulation and its severity.

The statement also added that “in cases of sexual offences, dissuasive sentences should be imposed for repression purposes, due to the particular seriousness of the crimes.”

“The gravity of the situation creates an obligation for the courts to impose particularly severe penalties.”

The statement was pronounced on behalf of the Attorney General by public prosecutor Luisa Sigar.