- Title: British teen denies faking Cyprus gang rape accusation, trial Oct. 2
- Date: 27th August 2019
- Summary: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS (AUGUST 27, 2019) (REUTERS) POLICE VEHICLE CARRYING BRITISH TEENAGER ACCUSED OF FAKING A RAPE CLAIM ARRIVING AT COURTHOUSE, TEENAGER SITTING IN BACK WITH HER HEAD COVERED TEENAGER WITH HER HEAD COVERED BEING ESCORTED BY POLICE OUT OF CAR INTO COURTHOUSE EXTERIOR OF COURTHOUSE SIGN READING: (English) 'FAMAGUSTA DISTRICT COURT' DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY GROUP 'JUSTICE ABROAD' ASSISTING TEENAGER'S DEFENCE TEAM, MICHAEL POLAK, EXITING COURT ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER LAWYERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY GROUP 'JUSTICE ABROAD' ASSISTING TEENAGER'S DEFENCE TEAM, MICHAEL POLAK, SAYING: "At today's hearing, the teenager entered a not guilty plea, and the matter will move towards trial. The teenager's case is that she has not lied about being raped, and that oppression was used by the Cypriot police in order to get her to retract her rape allegations. The purported retraction is unreliable because of what happened in the police station." VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS AT BACK ENTRANCE OF COURTHOUSE POLICE VEHICLE ARRIVING TEENAGER WITH HER HEAD COVERED BEING ESCORTED BY POLICE INTO POLICE VEHICLE TEENAGER WITH HER HEAD COVERED SITTING IN BACK SEAT, POLICE VEHICLE LEAVING VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY PEOPLE LEAVING COURTHOUSE
- Embargoed: 10th September 2019 12:00
- Keywords: gang rape British teenager Israeli youths Ayia Napa Cyprus court hearing
- Location: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS
- City: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS
- Country: Cyprus
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001ATZV32F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A British teenager who accused a group of Israeli youths of gang-raping her in Cyprus pleaded not guilty on Tuesday (August 27) to charges of making up the accusation.
The 19-year-old was arrested after police said she withdrew an accusation that 12 Israeli teenagers raped her in a hotel room in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in mid-July.
Her lawyers have told reporters she says she withdrew her accusation under duress.
A court in the town of Paralimni ordered her released on bail before the trial which is due to start on Oct. 2. She has spent a month in custody.
The charge the teenager faces, of public mischief, carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail or a fine.
The Israelis, who were on holiday in Cyprus, were detained and later released without charge. They had denied any allegation of assault and have since returned to Israel.
(Production: Yiannis Kourtoglou, Phoebe Fronista) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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