The Nicosia Criminal Court on Monday sentenced a 48 year old man to four years in prison after finding him guilty on two charges of sexually abusing a girl with mild intellectual disability.
The court, which met behind closed doors to protect the victim, said that the man also pleaded guilty to another seven cases of sexual abuse of the girl, who is now aged 16.
The offences were committed between 2014-2015 when the girl was aged between 14 and 15. According to the court, the victim was friends with the man’s children and she was abused when she visited their home.
He was cleared of five other charges — one of attempting to sexually abuse the girl and another four of indecent assault.
In passing sentence, the Court took into account the suspect’s clean criminal record and the fact that he has already been under arrest for 18 months for the same case.
The Court also stressed the need for harsh sentences to be applied in sexual abuse cases, which are on the rise, it said.
