A BRITISH dad whose toddler plunged to his death from a fourth-floor hotel window in Cyprus has begged for his charges to be dropped.
The three-year-old boy fell to his death at a luxury Cyprus hotel after allegedly slipping from his dad’s arms and plunging 33ft to the veranda below on July 12.
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The 37-year-old city executive has filed an official request for dismissal with the Attorney General of Cyprus as he faces accusations of causing the death of his son by a reckless act.
A decision concerning the potential dismissal is expected to be handed down today.
The Essex-born man is believed to have placed the toddler on the windowsill while waiting for the lift at the King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos, thinking the window was closed.
He was arrested at the resort and was jailed for eight days, during which time he was forced to Facetime his young daughter explain the tragedy.
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He was later charged, released on bail and was allowed to return to the UK to attend his sons funeral.
The father, who works at a big four consultancy firm, was ordered to pay an additional £8,500 deposit to ensure his return for the beginning of the trial on September 17.
If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to four years.
Alexandros Alexandrou, the father’s lawyer, stressed there was no public interest in prosecuting the grieving father and that a prolonged prosecution would further traumatise the family.
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He said: “We have asked the attorney-general to discontinue this prosecution on public interest and humanitarian grounds.
“In these exceptional circumstances we do not believe a continued criminal process serves the public interest.
“The family has already suffered an unimaginable loss, and the focus now should be on their welfare and recovery.”
The man is due back in Cyprus next week to enter his plea, but he hopes the trip won’t be necessary after his legal put the formal requested to Attorney General George Savvides.
If he does not drop the case, the father will be forced to return to Cyprus and surrender his passport.
The case provoked outrage in Cyprus with local press describing his detention as the “cruellest act”.
The horror fall happened just hours after the family arrived on the sunny island for their summer holiday.
The circumstances of the boy’s fatal fall remain disputed.
While the father claims he merely sat his son on a hotel window ledge while waiting for dinner, prosecutors argue he was swinging the boy from side to side before the fall – an allegation the farther denies.
Investigators have said they think the Brit could have been unaware that the window was open.
A friend of the family said the young boy was a “truly special easy-going little boy who brought joy to everyone around him.”
A source close to the family told The Times: “This continues to be deeply traumatic for the family.
“They have lost their child in the most horrific circumstances, and nothing can undo that.
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“This was a tragic accident and prolonging the criminal process adds nothing but more suffering to the parents, who need to be together to support each other and their surviving child.”
The resort’s safety record has since come under scrutiny after it emerged that the toddler is the third British tourist to die there since 2022.