A father, whose two-year-old son fell from a fourth-floor hotel window in Cyprus, has been fined 3,000 euros. The boy died.
How the tragedy unfolded
According to the Paphos District Court, Joshua Foster thought the window was closed and sat his son on the windowsill. He wanted to show him the view of the water park and ‘lost control of him’.
It was the first day of their family holiday, on 12 July. The child fell from a height of almost 12 metres at the five-star King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas.
Foster, 37, from Britain, pleaded guilty to causing his son’s death through recklessness.
He subsequently told reporters:
“Thank you for your support. I am looking forward to returning home and being with my wife and daughter.”
A few hours before the tragedy, Joshua Foster had flown to Cyprus with his wife, two children and his parents-in-law. They had been swimming, enjoying themselves and were getting ready to go out for dinner that evening.
Photo credit: Press Association
‘A life changed forever’
According to lawyer Alexandros Alexandrou, at around 6.00 pm Foster was walking towards the lift with his father-in-law and son. It was reported in court that, on the way, the boy spotted a water park outside the building.
Foster pressed the lift button, sat the child on the windowsill, and “the unimaginable happened” before he had time to react.
At the previous hearing, held on 6 October, Alexandrou stated that from that moment on, Foster’s life had “changed forever”.
The boy was taken to Paphos Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Foster told the police that when he placed his son on the windowsill, the boy fell ‘before he could catch him’.
Although alcohol was found in Foster’s system, this was not a key element of the prosecution’s case. His lawyer emphasised that no one had testified that the man was drunk.
The lawyer also stated that Foster had been held in custody for eight days. Whilst in custody, he was forced to ring his daughter to explain what had happened.
The court was also told that the window was 2.85 metres wide and 1.2 metres high.
Photo credit: Press Association
In a statement to the court, Alexandros Alexandrou described his client as an ‘incredible father’.
“He is an exemplary family man, surrounded by a wonderful family. They support him, look after him and always stand by his side.”
The lawyer added that Foster found the sentencing very difficult to cope with, and that his family needed time to mourn their loss.
“All this time, they have been focused on the defence,” said Alexandrou.