British father 'was swinging his son, three, from side to side near fourth-floor window' before the child fell to his death at Cyprus hotel, court hears

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:50, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 15:56, 14 July 2026 A British father whose son fell to his death at a Cyprus hotel was allegedly swinging his child 'from side to side' near the fourth-floor window of the building, a court has heard. At 6pm on Sunday, the three-year-old child fatally fell from the hotel in the coastal area of Chloraka, near Paphos, in an incident being investigated by the police. His father, 37, has been arrested and is being held in police custody for eight days on suspicion of 'causing death through negligence, reckless and dangerous actions'. The child fell from an open corridor window and landed on the hotel’s main veranda on the first floor, dying upon arrival at the hospital.  Local media reported that police were notified of the incident at around 6.40pm, after the child was picked up by an ambulance and taken to Paphos General Hospital.  Investigators are examining the possibility that the father and the child’s grandfather had left their rooms and were waiting for a lift to go to dinner when the tragedy occurred. The court heard that the father was holding the three-year-old around his waist and swinging him from side to side while they waited outside their fourth-floor room. During one of these movements, the child allegedly slipped from his father’s arms and fell through an open window.  A young British toddler has tragically died in Cyprus after falling off a fourth-floor hotel window while on holiday with his parents The large window, measuring roughly 4ft wide and 8ft tall, was located next to where they were standing, and investigators are examining whether one section of the window had been left open without the father realising it. The boy somehow fell through the window, suffering 'severe cranial wounds and multiple wounds to his body and vital organs'. On Monday morning, the father appeared in front of the Paphos district court where he reportedly burst into tears and was visibly distraught. The court session had to take a break after he became overwhelmed with emotion, as police requested he be held in custody for eight days while they continue the investigation, CyprusMail reported. An autopsy was carried out on Monday at the morgue of Nicosia General Hospital. Toxicology tests carried out on the child’s father have returned negative.  The couple have another young child, a five-year-old girl, who was with them at the time of the incident.  Police have taken five statements so far as part of an investigation. If charged and convicted, the father could face up to four years in prison.  Police spokesman Vyron Vyronos said the father may be released from his eight-day detention if the police probe is completed earlier.   The father, his wife and five-year-old daughter were on the first day of their holiday with the grandparents when the tragedy occurred, and were due to stay until July 25. Commenting on the possibility of liability on the part of the hotel, criminal lawyer Andreas Christou said this would have to be determined through the police investigation. Investigators would need to examine whether adequate safety measures were in place to prevent the toddler from accessing the window, he said. 'If not, then responsibility may also be sought from the owners of the hotel or from the person or persons who ultimately left the window open,' he told the Cyprus News Agency. 'We have a duty to look into it,' he said, adding: 'And we will. Detailed investigations will be carried out.' Local media has condemned the police for their 'insensitive and foolish' decision to arrest the 'inconsolable and grief-stricken father'. In a passionate article, CyprusMail wrote: 'Do the police really need eight days to complete an investigation of what was clearly an accident, and for which they have more than adequate evidence?' 'The police are investigating the father in connection with a case of causing death by reckless, negligent and dangerous act and for failing in his responsibility as a person having the care of another,' the article continued. 'We expect the Paphos police will also investigate the safety of facilities at the hotel in which the accident happened, instead of placing all the blame on the father, who was sobbing when the investigating officer tried to recount the circumstances of the case.' The newspaper said the eight-day custody was a 'ludicrously unreasonable' request, which the British man should have argued against. 'Less than 24 hours after the tragic loss of his boy, the man, understandably, was in no position to argue with the police officer... 'The court could have offered the man some protection, by questioning the need for the [detention]– and the length – requested by the police, but it did not,' the article said. 'It was a bad day for the police and the courts, both of which seemed to have gone out of their way to show complete disregard for human suffering,' it concluded. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.