Cyprus court rules UK woman lied when claiming Israelis raped her
Calls her an ‘unreliable witness’ who claimed rape to avenge being filmed by Israeli youths during sexual act.
By ALON EINHORNA 19-year-old British woman covers her face as she arrives at the Famagusta courthouse in Paralimni, Cyprus(photo credit: REUTERS/YIANNIS KOURTOGLOU)
A 19-year-old British woman who claimed that 12 Israelis raped her in a hotel in the Cypriot resort town of Aiya Napa in July was found guilty on Monday of committing public mischief and lying about being raped, Judge Michalis Papathanasiou ruled.The court said the woman was an “unreliable witness” and ruled that she lied about being raped, doing so in revenge for being filmed by the Israeli youths during a sexual act.“My conclusion is that the guilt of the accused has been proven beyond reasonable doubt,” the presiding judge said in his verdict. He said her claims were inconsistent, adding that she had attempted to mislead the court.Her sentence for being found guilty of fraud and filing a false complaint could be up to a year in prison and a €1,000 fine.Judge Papathanasiou adjourned sentencing until January 7.Originally, 12 Israelis were arrested for the rape that allegedly occurred in Ayia Napa, after she claimed that the suspects gang-raped her in a hotel room. While admitting to have willingly gone there with one of them, she said the other 11 showed up and raped her.Three Israelis have admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girl, but they said it was done with her consent. The other nine denied having any physical contact with her.Five of the Israelis were released and allowed to return home, after the police received results of DNA tests and watched footage the Israelis took of the event. The other seven suspects were detained for another week.The woman confessed that she had lied about being raped in revenge for being filmed. But she later claimed the police forced her to sign a confession written by them without giving her access to a lawyer.“The confession was taken under pressure given the threats made,” said the woman’s lawyer. “They didn’t warn her and didn’t allow her access to a lawyer, as was entitled under the European Convention on Human Rights. Furthermore, they didn’t tell her that she could leave the police station and didn’t give her the option to leave at any point.”
According to the lawyer, none of the procedures at the police station were documented.“They honestly made me sign falsely,” the woman said to her friend. “They think it’s a conspiracy, and they threatened to issue an international arrest warrant to arrest you all.”Reuters contributed to this report.
