Political parties on Monday double down on their calls for the resignation of Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides following a European Court of Human Rights ruling that condemned Cyprus for victim-blaming and sexist handling of a rape case involving a politician.
The ECHR awarded €35,470 compensation to victim N.T., a Cypriot woman who reported being raped in 2011 by a politician when she was 18 years old. The court found Cyprus violated three articles of the Human Rights Convention through procedural omissions and reprehensible treatment of the victim.
In a statement on Monday, left-wing opposition AKEL stated Angelides should have already resigned, describing the ECHR ruling as confirming “structural and institutional sexism of the Cypriot state in investigating sexual violence complaints”. The party said the ruling confirmed the Assistant Attorney General is part of the problem.
Prosecution suspended over victim credibility
The case involved allegations against politician A.T., who was forced to withdraw his candidacy from DISY’s parliamentary election ballot in 2021 when the accusations became public. Police opened an investigation and indicted the accused following N.T.’s complaint.
However, Angelides, who served as Defence Minister in the DISY-led government until 2020, suspended criminal proceedings based on alleged inconsistencies in the victim’s statements and her admission that she had “liked” the accused and possibly sent “wrong signals”.
The ECHR ruled this approach reflected “prejudices and stereotypical perceptions” rather than objective handling of gender-based violence. The court criticised the lack of specialised psychological assessment and failure to properly weigh conflicting testimonies.
Court identifies victim-blaming patterns
The European Court found the credibility assessment was influenced by the victim’s emotional attachment to the accused, an element not evaluated through trauma and psychological violence effects. The court condemned language betraying sexist stereotypes that undermines victims’ confidence in the justice system.
The ruling noted the suspension decision was based on “subjective assessments about the victim’s psychological profile” rather than absence of evidence. N.T. received inadequate justification for the suspension and no access to relevant documents.
Second ECHR condemnation this year
This marks the second time in 2025 that the ECHR has ruled against Cyprus over rape case handling. In February, the court found violations in the 2019 Ayia Napa case involving a British teenager who retracted gang-rape allegations against Israeli tourists after police questioning without legal representation.
The Alma movement accused Angelides of lacking shame for criticising those calling for his resignation as populist. Alma called on President Nikos Christodoulides to demand resignations from both senior Law Office officials or initiate constitutional procedures.
Political pressure
The victim addressed an open letter to President Christodoulides requesting restoration of institutional justice. “I expect you to show that women cannot be victims of the views of any sexist Assistant Attorney General,” she wrote.
AKEL questioned whether party rather than public interest guided Angelides’ decision to protect a DISY official, noting President Christodoulides’ silence on the matter.
Alma demanded constitutional action if Law Office heads refuse resignation, stating this would restore the service’s “collapsed prestige and citizen confidence in state institutions”.
