Father, stepmother remanded after two boys found dead in car in Xylophagou

The father and stepmother of two boys found dead inside a car in Xylophagou were remanded in custody for three days on Monday after the British bases court found sufficient grounds to keep them in detention.

The couple appeared before the court in handcuffs after being arrested following the discovery of the two boys, aged eight and ten, inside a vehicle on Sunday evening.

They remained largely silent throughout the two-hour proceedings. Assisted by an interpreter, they listened as police detailed the investigation and defence lawyers challenged the grounds for their continued detention.

Both appeared emotional at various points during the hearing.

The two boys, visiting from oversees, are believed to have been playing when they locked themselves in the vehicle and appear to have suffocated and sustained burns from exposure to the sun.

The father and stepmother, 30 and 38 respectively, who were at work at the time, were arrested by the British bases police on suspicion of negligence.

The bases police had been notified by a civilian that there were two children apparently unconscious in a vehicle. It is now thought this was the stepmother.

Rescue crews had to break the car windows to get to the children.

The boys were taken by ambulance to hospital, where doctors confirmed their death.

SBA police, represented by Detective Inspector Christodoulos Christodoulou, had sought a four-day remand order, arguing that investigators needed additional time to complete extensive enquiries, gather forensic evidence and prevent possible interference with witnesses.

However, in his ruling, the judge said that the two suspects were “not defendants” but individuals subject to an ongoing investigation.

The judge further found there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the pair were likely to interfere with witnesses.

“I am not satisfied it is likely they will interfere,” he said.

The court nevertheless concluded that detention was justified because investigators still had significant work to complete and because of concerns that the pair could leave the area of the British Base before enquiries were concluded.

“I have no information as to how they will remain in the area,” he said.

He added that the court had to consider “not only the borders with the Republic but also the line with the north”, concluding that there was “no sure way of securing their return” should they leave.

The court heard that police had already secured CCTV footage showing the vehicle, visited approximately 30 homes and expect to obtain around 25 witness statements.

Investigators have also seized two mobile phones which were due to undergo forensic examination using specialist software capable of recovering location data, photographs and communications.

Police further told the court that vehicle examiners had been instructed to conduct a technical examination of the car, while post-mortem examinations were expected to be carried out later on Monday by a forensic pathologist arriving from Athens.

During the hearing, the defence challenged the police application.

They argued that the vehicle had already been seized and secured, CCTV footage had already been obtained and professional witnesses, including ambulance personnel, could not realistically be influenced.

Defence counsel Andriana Klaidi also challenged suggestions that the accused could interfere with neighbours and relatives who may be called as witnesses, describing such concerns as “speculation”.

The defence further questioned whether police could reach any conclusions regarding the cause of death before post-mortem examinations had been carried out, arguing that, in the absence of forensic findings, a number of possible explanations remained open.

The court also heard exchanges concerning the relationship between the arrested man and the children.

Police acknowledged that they had not conducted DNA testing and were relying on documentary evidence, including the fact that the children shared his surname. The defence challenged whether this was sufficient to establish biological parentage.

The case due to return on Thursday should investigators seek a further extension.