The Famagusta permanent criminal court on Monday sentenced a 51-year-old man to 13 years in prison for a series of sexual offences against a 26-year-old foreign woman.

The court had previously found the man guilty of 15 of 16 charges, including eight counts of rape, sexual abuse, indecent assault, threats and harassment, committed between July and September 2023 in Ayia Napa and Paralimni.

In handing down the sentence, the court stressed the seriousness and systematic nature of the offences.

In cases involving multiple rape legal precedents place sentences at the highest levels of the penalty scale.

The court also reviewed Cypriot and English case law, where prison terms of 9 to 10 years are deemed appropriate even for isolated rape cases.

In this instance, the repetition of the acts on multiple occasions increased the severity of the case.

The defendant’s prior criminal record, although not sexual in nature, was also considered.

The court imposed concurrent sentences, with a maximum of 13 years for the rape charges.