A 46-year-old father and his two adult children pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 122 charges involving alleged abuse of minor children in their family.

The three defendants, the father, his 23-year-old daughter and his 21-year-old son, appeared before the Famagusta permanent criminal court, which decided they would remain in custody until the hearing begins on November 18.

The charges relate to alleged offences committed between 2013 and May 2026.

They include systematic physical and psychological abuse, child abuse, kidnapping, indecent assault, sexual harassment, attempted sexual abuse of a child, and degrading treatment.

The prosecution requested that the proceedings be conducted entirely behind closed doors as the victims are minors and are expected to give evidence.

The defence did not object to the request, which the court accepted.

According to the indictment and evidence cited in an earlier court of appeal decision, the children lived for years in poor conditions, with claims of physical violence, food deprivation, confinement and restrictions on their freedom.

The allegations include claims that the father beat some of his children with a belt and kept the refrigerator and food in a locked room, preventing them from accessing it. The children are alleged to have been made to sleep on the floor.

Reports from neighbours and teachers were also cited, as according to the evidence, the children sometimes arrived at school with injuries, wearing dirty clothes and hungry.

Teachers provided them with food, with one teacher reportedly taking food to the family home.

The court of appeal decision stated that “all the complainants report miserable living conditions”, including alleged attacks, beatings, lack of food, confinement and restrictions on leaving the house.

The father was also accused of failing to cooperate with school authorities and preventing his children from seeing a doctor.

The family has 11 other children, five of whom are adults and six minors. The youngest of the minors is nine and the oldest is 17.

The three defendants were previously released conditionally by the Famagusta district court, but the court of appeal later overturned that decision following an appeal by the attorney-general and ordered their detention.

The appeals court cited concerns that the defendants could abscond, influence witnesses or reoffend.

It found that their residence in Cyprus for around 20 years, employment and lack of previous convictions were insufficient to outweigh the seriousness of the allegations.

Three of the family’s minor children were also reported missing after being placed in shelters following their removal from their mother by the competent authorities.

They were located around a week later and returned to their places of residence.