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Cyprus’ Deputy Attorney General, Savvas Angelides, has found himself at the center of a firestorm following a harsh ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which condemned the way a rape case involving a young woman was handled by the Legal Service and pointed directly at him for comments described as sexist and prejudiced.
The case in question involved a student who accused a man of rape back in 2013. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, saying there wasn’t enough evidence. But the ECHR has now ruled that Cyprus violated her rights, not only in how the case was handled but also in the way state officials, including Angelides, spoke about her. The court said their language was so biased it could discourage other women from ever coming forward.
“I’m not stepping down,” says Angelides
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Angelides denied any wrongdoing and called the wave of resignation demands “an orchestrated campaign” to hurt the credibility of the Legal Service.
“I’m not here to please people. I’m not a politician,” he said. “The justice system can’t run on popularity polls.”
He firmly rejected claims that the case was dropped because the accused man had political connections, saying the decision was based on the evidence at the time. He also confirmed that the Legal Service now intends to reopen the case, following the ECHR’s ruling.
Sexist language? “That’s the Court’s opinion,” says Angelides
The ECHR ruling didn’t mince words: it criticized the Legal Service, including Angelides himself, for using language in court that relied on gender stereotypes and suggested the young woman wasn’t a “credible” victim because of her behavior, lifestyle, and character. That, the Court said, amounted to a breach of her human rights.
When asked about these comments, Angelides brushed it off as simply the ECHR’s “interpretation.”
Legal Service under pressure
The backlash is growing. Political parties like AKEL, Volt, and the Greens have already called for Angelides to resign, and 16 civil society groups gathered outside the Legal Service on Tuesday in protest.
Even Attorney General George Savvides weighed in, saying there’s a dangerous trend of undermining public institutions for political gain. “We must act without being influenced by public pressure,” he said.
Angelides, for his part, said the Legal Service will now develop a protocol for how to handle sexual violence cases and has already spoken with the Gender Equality Commissioner about next steps.
Bottom line?
The ECHR ruling has shone a harsh light on how rape cases are treated in Cyprus, not just in the courts, but in the attitude of those in power. Whether Angelides stays or goes, many are now asking, can women truly trust the system to protect them?
