Man sentenced in teen bride kidnapping case

A 21-year-old man in Nicosia got a suspended sentence in a bride kidnapping case involving a 13-year-old girl who claimed she was in love with him.

The case goes back in March, when daily Politis broke the story of a 13-year-old girl who ran away from home after her parents disapproved of her relationship with the 21-year-old male.

According to court documents, the girl told authorities on tape that she was in love with the man. She was also considering getting pregnant with him to overcome her father’s condemnation of their relationship.

But her parents, who would have none of it, filed a complaint against their daughter’s suitor, prompting her to take a number of pills and run away with him until his arrest.

On Friday, the Nicosia District Court handed down three separate 14-month suspended sentences, running concurrently, after the judge treated each of the charges separately.

Previously, the man had pleaded guilty to charges of statutory rape, child sexual abuse, and child abduction. He has also been slapped with a restraining order with the judge forbidding him to be anywhere within 100 metres of the girl’s residence and also ordering him to stay away by keeping a distance of at least 50 metres from her.

The restraining order will be reevaluated in the year 2020.