Dad fined after son, 2, died in Cyprus hotel fall

What the report says

A court in Paphos, Cyprus, has fined Joshua Foster, a 37-year-old father from Essex, 3,000 euro (£2,500) after his two-year-old son died in a fall from a hotel window on the family’s holiday. BBC World News reported that Foster admitted causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act after the child fell nearly 40 feet from the fourth floor of the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas on 12 July, the first day of the trip.

According to the hearing described by BBC World News, Foster believed the window was shut when he placed the boy on a sill so he could look at a waterpark view, and he lost control of him. Police were called to the hotel later that evening, and the child was taken to Paphos General Hospital before being pronounced dead. The court also heard that Foster, his wife, their two children and his in-laws had arrived in Cyprus earlier that day and had spent time around the pool before the incident.

Foster’s lawyer said his client had no previous convictions and was deeply remorseful. The BBC report said alcohol was detected in his system, but it was not treated as a significant factor in the case. The case has drawn attention because it involves a fatal accident during a family holiday and raises wider concerns about child safety around hotel windows and balconies, an issue that is periodically highlighted in travel safety advice.