The recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on two rape cases in Cyprus suggests that gender stereotypes and biases continue to influence the legal system, gender equality commissioner Josie Christodoulou said on Friday.

“Perceptions about how a female rape victim ‘should’ behave, as well as the questioning of victims’ credibility, lead to discrimination based on gender and fail to respect their dignity,” she said, referring to the ECtHR’s most recent decision.

The ECtHR on Thursday found that the criminal investigation into a rape complaint against Disy politician Andreas Ttaouxis had been seriously flawed, criticising the authorities’ treatment of the victim.

“Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights. It is not a private matter but one that concerns and affects society as a whole,” Christodoulou said.

Related Articles

She added that both sexism and gender-based discrimination stem from unequal power relations between men and women, which can result in harmful behaviour and fuel violence against women.

“The existence of such discrimination is not only socially unacceptable but also contrary to Cyprus’ international obligations regarding gender equality and the protection of women,” she emphasised.

“We must ensure the effective protection of victims and foster a culture of gender equality,” she added.

Christodoulou announced that her office is working with the legal service academy to initiate discussions on the topic. She said the Law Office of the Republic has already begun sessions with its officers aimed at dismantling unconscious biases and stereotypes, with similar plans underway for the Cyprus judicial training school.

“Harmful actions against women offend human dignity and undermine justice and democracy,” the commissioner concluded.

Her comments follow Thursday’s ECtHR judgment, which outlined multiple failings in the Ttaouxis case and found that Cyprus had breached Articles 3, 8, and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Leto Cariolou, the lawyer representing the 28-year-old woman in the case, said Cypriot authorities had ignored critical factors, including the woman’s age at the time of the alleged rape and her emotional connection to the accused. The court stressed that her apparent ambivalence toward the accused should have been evaluated in the context of trauma and psychological abuse.

The Republic was ordered to pay the woman €20,000 in damages and €15,470 in legal costs, for a total of €35,470.