Family of toddler who plunged from Cyprus hotel window urge Ed Miliband to help father charged with son's death

The family of a British father charged in connection with the tragic death of his two-year-old son in a fall from a hotel balcony in Cyprus has urged Ed Miliband to help get him back to the UK in time for the boy’s funeral.

The tragedy took place near the Chloraka area in the coast city of Paphos on July 12, when the child is said to have fallen out of his 37-year-old father's arms whilst the pair were playing "airplane".

The dad was previously arrested and set to be remanded in custody for eight days - but has since been charged with negligence in connection to the death.

The charges on Tuesday saw him accused of “causing death by a rash, reckless, or dangerous act".

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The family is now seeking the support of the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in the hope that the father can attend his son’s funeral in Britain.

One source close to the family told The Telegraph: “The family fully understands that the British Government cannot interfere with the Cypriot judicial process.

“But they are calling for more active support. Given the exceptional humanitarian circumstances, they hope that the British Government will actively engage with the Cypriot authorities.

“The father needs to be able to attend his son’s funeral once the court proceedings set for July 31 have taken place.

“They believe the issue deserves proper attention from the UK Government and they hope that, as the new Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband will support their plight.”

The incident is said to have taken place when the family walked out of a lift to go down from the fourth floor to the ground floor for dinner.

When he was there, the father, who was allegedly playing with the child, did not notice the window in the hallway was open.

Adding to the tragedy, the whole incident played out in front of the child's grandfather.

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The boy is said to have landed on the hotel’s main veranda and did not respond to paramedics.

Emergency services rushed the child to Paphos General Hospital.

He was found dead in the hotel garden after the 33-foot plunge.

The 37-year-old father faces up to four years behind bars if convicted.

One source told the Sun that the matter of responsibility was “an open book”.

They declared: “The father has been arrested but was he really at fault?

"We are hearing that the boy fell from an open window along the corridor that led to the lift. Should that window have been open?”

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy remains ongoing.

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