Sentence of child sex abuser increased to 15 years

A man who committed the “extremely vile” crimes of sexually abusing three children and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a “blatantly inadequate sentence” has now had his sentence extended for a further five years by the Supreme Court, it emerged on Tuesday.

The appeal was filed by Attorney General Giorgos Savvides, who viewed the 10-year concurrent prison sentence handed down to the perpetrator by the Nicosia criminal court as “blatantly inadequate.”

The Supreme Court agreed with Savvides’ position and in its decision on February 7 said the five-year prison sentence for a number of charges to which the defendant had been found guilty should not be carried concurrently with the 10-year prison sentence, but after it.

Following the decision, the man will now serve 15 years in prison.

Supreme Court said the aggravating factors, including the repeated abuse of the three victims who are minors, made the case “extremely vile”. It stressed the importance of passing down sentences that can deter such crimes.

The attorney general was represented by senior public prosecutor Mikaela Pasiardi.