A revised bill on parental custody legislation was discussed at the House legal committee on Wednesday, with parents saying they are currently living a nightmare over the right to see their children and MPs expressing reservations regarding the additional powers vested to the welfare services, which in 2023 had 505 cases and a mere eight officers to handle them.

Panayiotis, a divorced father, told MPs that he has been in and out of courts for the past eight months, has filed 15 reports with the police and still has not been allowed to see his now 14-year-old child for over a year.

The father accused his ex-wife of instigating parental estrangement and said he had been an “excellent father” and had “made sacrifices that few fathers make”, Reporter said.

Chairman of the divorced fathers’ association Valentinos Pierides said that in the case of divorce both parents should be given equal care for the children and called on MPs to look into this.

Pierides said this was “a very serious issue”, which would never end with the involvement of psychologists and wide-ranging or polythematic procedures.

Cyprus’ Bar Association expressed reservations over some provisions in the bill.

Chairwoman of the association’s family law committee Tasoula Tzirti said the bill in its current form may not be easy to implement and explained that the social services were given more powers than they could handle with existing staff.

Justice ministry representative Pheadra Gregoriou, who presented the revised bill, said it was the product of deliberations among all involved.

The new provisions include convening polythematic committees wherever necessary, a plan regulated by court to prevent parental estrangement, mandatory communication between parents and children where orders have been issued, revoking communication orders when a child is in a shelter and penalties for late child support to deal with vengeful delays.

The bill also provides for equal custody under certain conditions and that usually responsibilities are shared and custody is given to one parent.

Gregoriou said each case should be judged separately and that custody was not the same as care.