Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides has withdrawn from handling a high-profile sexual assault case after the complainant requested his immediate removal, citing a lack of confidence in the prosecution’s approach.
Angelides sent a letter to lawyer Leto Cariolou today notifying her of his decision to recuse himself from the case involving complainant N.T. The complainant had requested his immediate withdrawal in a letter dated 12 July 2025, stating that the prosecution’s handling had caused her to lose trust and confidence in the authorities.
According to sources, Angelides informed the lawyer that the Attorney General would now take over the case and invited them to arrange a meeting to decide how to proceed.
The complainant remains in a vulnerable position following the entire handling of the case both before and after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision, which intensified her mistrust of the authorities’ intentions.
The request for Angelides’ withdrawal followed his public statements on 8 July, made in response to intense criticism of the ECHR’s damning ruling, in which he announced the prosecution’s intention to re-register the case.
Complainant sought continued prosecution
Lawyer Cariolou revealed that her client had expected criminal prosecution of the accused to continue if her ECHR appeal proved successful. However, “both the public statements by Angelides the day after the judgment was issued, including his questioning of the ECHR’s findings, and the fact that Angelides continued to handle the case personally, left her with no choice but to decide not to participate in any further investigation conducted under the directions and guidance of the Assistant Attorney General, nor in any criminal prosecution by any public prosecutor hierarchically subordinate to the AAG.”
The complainant declared herself willing to discuss the Republic of Cyprus’s compliance with the ECHR decision with the Attorney General to find a solution.
Cariolou said the decision was necessary due to the ECHR’s findings. “The ECHR found that the ‘primary’ problem in her treatment by the Cypriot authorities was the handling of the case by public prosecutors, culminating in the AAG’s final decision to suspend criminal prosecution and specifically, the way the AAG addressed the issue of lack of consent.”
The lawyer noted that the AAG’s handling of the case confirmed observations by the GREVIO Committee regarding Cyprus, which stated that Cypriot public prosecutors openly display “sexist and misogynistic attitudes towards women victims of sexual violence” and have “inadequate understanding” of paradigmatic changes in requirements for proving rape in criminal proceedings.
Police contacted complainant without lawyer present
Despite the request for Angelides’ immediate withdrawal and despite the Law Office and Police knowing that N.T. is represented by a lawyer, police contacted the complainant directly on 15 July for further investigation purposes, asking her directly about her position and intentions without her lawyer present.
Cariolou emphasised that authorities cannot continue to ignore N.T.’s rights and the ECHR decision. Her client asked authorities to respect her vulnerable position and show responsibility in their further handling, which includes respecting her dignity and rights.
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