The investigation into the tragic death of the two Bulgarian boys, 8 and 10 years old, who suffocated in a locked car in the Cypriot village of Xylofagu, is entering a key phase. To 06:30 Bulgarian time on July 2, 2026 it became clear that the three-day arrest warrant for the 30-year-old father, issued by the court at the British base of Dhekelia, expires today. At the same time, his 38-year-old partner (the children's stepmother) was released from custody on Wednesday.
The case is being handled by the British base police, as the fatal car was parked on their territory, although the family's residential building is in the Republic of Cyprus. The main version of the investigators remains causing death by negligence due to suffocation and heat stroke. Security camera footage shows that the children got into the car to play and spent more than three hours inside in extreme heat before their stepmother found them unconscious at 5:30 p.m.
Autopsies have not yet given a definitive answer to the exact cause of death, which is why additional laboratory tests are expected. The father's defense objected to the charges, insisting that other versions, including poisoning, cannot be ruled out. However, a technical inspection of the car found serious problem with the door locking mechanism.
The British bases are already cooperating with the Bulgarian authorities to take an official verification declaration from the boys' mother, who is in Bulgaria. The national works as a blacksmith in Limassol, and the children arrived with him from Bulgaria in mid-May for their summer vacation. The court is expected to decide later today whether to extend the father's detention. Meanwhile, the local council in Xylofagou is meeting to discuss a fundraising campaign to transport the children's bodies, and the Consular Service at the Bulgarian Embassy in Nicosia will certify and translate the documents completely free of charge.
Source: Bulgarian National Radio