Move FM Global News

LARNACA, CYPRUS – A 19-year-old British woman who claimed she had been gang-raped by up to a dozen Israeli youths has been found guilty of causing public mischief.

The woman, on a working holiday in Cyprus, alleged the rapes took place at a hotel in Ayia Napa. The claim was made in July, leading to the arrest of the Israeli youths who were holidaying in the town.

The woman later admitted she had lied about being raped, and withdrew her allegations.

She said she was having consensual sex with one of the young `Israelis but says she became embarrassed when the pair were photographed by a number of the other youths in the group.

In her defence, the woman claimed Cyprus police officers had forced her to retract her claim, which the officers denied.

Her trial for causing public mischief took place in October at the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni, however the judgement has only just been published. Now convicted, the woman, who has been on bail but prevented from leaving Cyprus since August, has been stood over for sentence on 7 January.

The teenager’s lawyer, Michael Polak, a director of Justice Abroad said the conviction may be appealed. He said there were a number of points on which an appeal could be mounted, including that the statement given retracting the gang-rape claim was made without a lawyer being present, which he said was a breach of European human rights law.

The lawyer was also critical of the judge, Michalis Papathanasiou, who he claimed would not hear any evidence on whether a rape occurred.

Prosecutors had told the court the woman had willingly signed a statement retracting her claims ten days after making the original allegations.

The young British woman told the court the statement was signed under duress, that she was threatened with being arrested if she failed to sign the statement, and that when she asked for a lawyer, she was denied one.

The judge however found the girl was untruthful and was trying to deceive the court.

He said the reason for the initial false claim was because she felt “embarrassed” after finding out some of the group had used their phones to video her having sex.

The twelve Israelis who fell under suspicion were sent home after their release, amidst an international uproar over the initial allegations.