The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has dealt a sharp blow to Cypriot authorities and deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides, ruling that Cyprus violated key human rights in handling a rape complaint against Disy politician Andreas Ttaouxis.

The court found serious flaws in the criminal investigation and criticised how the Law Office treated the alleged victim, a 28-year-old woman. Judges concluded that Cyprus breached articles 3, 8, and 14 of the European convention on human rights.

The state was ordered to pay the woman €20,000 in damages and €15,470 for legal costs, totalling €35,470.

The case stems from April 2021, when the woman reported that she had been raped in January 2011, at the age of 18. Police launched a swift investigation, and the case proceeded to the criminal court. But new testimonies and assessments later raised doubts about the consistency of her account.

These doubts formed the basis for deputy attorney-general Angelides’ decision in December 2021 to halt the prosecution. The attorney-general’s office argued that the woman’s credibility was uncertain and that some evidence might suggest consent.

However, the ECtHR ruled that the Law Office’s approach showed bias and relied on gender stereotypes. The court criticised the failure to conduct a specialised psychological assessment of the woman and highlighted the lack of proper examination of conflicting witness statements.

Reacting to the ruling, the woman’s lawyer, Leto Cariolou, said the Strasbourg court had “openly condemned” the decision of the deputy attorney-general, which she described as “riddled with moralistic and sexist stereotypes.” Cariolou said the decision was based on “an inappropriate focus on the victim’s emotional expressions” and ignored clear indicators of a lack of consent.

“Rape is sex without consent. Full stop,” Cariolou said. “It’s time we stop looking for bruises and screams. Lack of consent is often silent. The perpetrator isn’t always a stranger breaking in through a balcony door. He can be a partner, a husband, someone the victim once loved or trusted.”

Judges also said Cypriot authorities ignored vital factors, such as the woman’s age at the time of the alleged rape and her emotional ties to the accused.

The court stressed that her apparent ambivalence towards the accused should have been understood in the context of trauma and psychological violence.

Moreover, the ECtHR condemned language used in official documents, which it said reflected sexist stereotypes and could damage victims’ trust in the justice system.

Cyprus had argued that the prosecution was dropped following an objective assessment, not haste. But the ECtHR found that the decision was based not on a lack of evidence but on subjective views of the woman’s psychological state.

The court also noted that she had not been given full reasons for the decision nor access to relevant documents.

In its final judgment, the ECtHR said the authorities had failed not only to protect the woman but had contributed to her secondary victimisation. The court viewed this as a form of discrimination based on gender.

Cypriot prosecutors decided to drop the rape and abduction case against Ttaouxis, a former parliamentary candidate for the Disy party. The case had been filed last May, shortly before parliamentary elections.

Ttaouxis announced the development on Facebook, describing it as his “hour of vindication.” He claimed there had “never been a case” to bring to court and said the accusation had caused deep personal harm. He expressed gratitude to his family, friends, lawyers, and political allies for standing by him.

The initial accusation against Ttaouxis was posted publicly on social media last May by a woman alleging that he raped and abducted her a decade earlier. The claims led him to withdraw from Disy’s electoral list. Cypriot authorities have yet to comment in detail on either case following the ECHR’s decision.