Femicide incidents in Cyprus

In mid-September 2026, two separate femicide incidents were reported in Cyprus within a single week.

On September 12, 35-year-old Rukiye Tunçer was killed by her husband, 41-year-old Seydi Ahmet Tunçer, on the Güzelyurt-Lefkoşa Highway. Around 18:45, while traveling toward Lefkoşa, a verbal argument led to the couple’s vehicle losing control near the Alayköy Industrial Zone. The vehicle struck a concrete wall and traveled approximately 110 meters into a field. During the altercation, the suspect allegedly used a spiral seat-brushing tool to strike Tunçer in the head multiple times. The suspect surrendered to police at the scene and confessed to the crime; investigators have seized the tool as evidence.

On September 13, a second incident occurred in the Gerolakkos area near the Morphou-Nicosia road. A 35-year-old woman was killed following a dispute with her 41-year-old husband while traveling in a vehicle. The vehicle reportedly veered off the road into a field, where the suspect allegedly struck the woman in the head with an electric cutting tool found inside the vehicle. The suspect provided a self-incriminating statement, and the Nicosia District Court ordered a three-day detention pending further investigation and an autopsy.

The recent surge in violence, including a prior case on September 7 in Agios Georgios of Karpasia, has prompted public outcry and calls from citizens and organizations for increased action against domestic violence and strengthened protection measures.