Newsroom
The criminal trial of suspended Paphos Mayor Phedon Phedonos begins on Monday before the Permanent Criminal Court in Paphos, with all proceedings taking place behind closed doors following a judicial ruling aimed at protecting the complainant's privacy.
Phedonos has pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him. The hearing is scheduled to continue over five consecutive days, from July 27 to July 31, with daily sessions beginning at 9am.
In its decision, announced during the previous court appearance, the Criminal Court ordered that the public be excluded from the proceedings and prohibited the publication of any transcripts or records from the trial.
The court said the nature of the alleged offences and the evidence expected to be presented create a significant risk to the complainant's private life. It also found that public proceedings could affect her willingness to testify freely because of fear, anxiety and the possibility of social stigma.
The judges referred to case law from the European Court of Human Rights supporting the use of closed hearings in rape cases where protecting a complainant's privacy outweighs the principle of public access, even when some personal information has already entered the public domain.
The court said the complainant should be able to give evidence without intimidation or pressure, regardless of whether her allegations are ultimately accepted or rejected.
It also dismissed defence arguments that the passage of time since the alleged offences or the complainant's adulthood reduced the need for privacy protections. The court said adult women alleging rape or sexual abuse may still require special protection during criminal proceedings.
Judges also rejected the suggestion that only the complainant's testimony should be heard in private, finding that sensitive personal information could emerge through the evidence of other witnesses.
The court concluded that holding the case in public could interfere with the complainant's right to privacy and ordered that the entire trial take place without members of the public present.
Phedonos faces five charges: rape, indecent assault on a woman, indecent assault on a woman by another act, assault causing actual bodily harm, and administering a drug or other substance capable of rendering a person unconscious or overcoming their ability to resist. He denies all of the allegations.
