NT v Cyprus: European Court of Human Rights rules that Cyprus Government’s flawed rape prosecution violates Articles 3, 8, 14

4 August 2025

The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Cypriot Government to pay €35,470 in compensation to Leto Cariolou’s client. Credit: Skorzewiak / Shutterstock.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that failures in the Cyprus Government’s handling of a rape allegation violated Articles 3, 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Garden Court North’s associate member Leto Cariolou represented the Applicant, ‘NT’, who reported to the Cypriot Police in 2021 that she was raped by the Defendant ten years prior, when she was aged 18.

Serious police flaws and sexist prosecutorial prejudices

The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Cyprus to pay €35,470 (£30,865) in compensation to NT, and ruled that Cyprus demonstrated “sexist victim-blaming” and “prejudicial gender stereotypes” in discontinuing the prosecution.

The judgement also highlighted what experts have pinpointed as systemic issues in Cyprus’ authorities handling of sexual violence cases, amid “rampant prejudices and patriarchal attitudes among the police” as well as the open display of sexist and misogynistic attitudes by public prosecutors who “appeared to have an inadequate understanding of the paradigmatic shift in proving rape”.

The Strasbourg Court also identified Cypriot Police failure to investigate certain lines of enquiry, collect available and relevant evidence, and seek expert evidence by a specialist psychologist which would have assisted the investigation.

No inconsistencies were found on the Applicant’s part. Instead, the Court found that Deputy Attorney General had exposed NT to secondary victimisation through guilt-inducing and sexist stereotypes.

The Court also noted the authorities’ failure to respect the applicant’s rights as a victim and treat her with dignity. It criticised the Deputy Attorney General’s unreasoned refusal to allow NT access to the case file, which had limited her effective participation in the process and her avenues for legal redress.

Leto is part of Garden Court North’s international law team.

Additional media

Philenews – Assistant Attorney General Angelides withdraws from ECHR rape case

Cyprus Mail – Cyprus violated alleged rape victim’s rights, ECtHR rules

European Court of Human Rights – Case of N.T. v. Cyprus

For further information, please contact Alex Blair, Communications Manager at Garden Court North Chambers: ablair@gcnchambers.co.uk