Father of dead baby to remain in custody until trial

The father of a three-month-old baby who died from severe head injuries will remain in custody until the trial at Paphos criminal court begins next month while the mother was released on bail.

The couple, aged 29 will head to trial on April 18, the court ruled on Monday.

The father faces two charges, manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and causing death through a reckless or dangerous act. The mother only faces the second charge.

The baby died on February 22, four days after his father rushed him to Paphos general hospital in a comatose state.

He was transferred to Makarios children’s hospital in Nicosia where a head scan showed brain injury and an epidural hematoma.

The parents had reported that their son sustained the injuries by falling from a couch but they were arrested after a post-mortem revealed that the severity of his injuries was not consistent with a fall from a 70cm-high sofa. According to the pathologists in charge of the case, such injuries can only be caused by a fall from a greater height.

Court ruled the father remain in custody while the mother was released on conditions of a €70,000 bail, handing over travel documents and presenting herself to a police station on Mondays and Thursdays between 7pm to 9pm.

Her name has been placed on a stop list.

Prosecution argued there was high risk the father could return to their native Romania and as such should remain in custody.

 

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