- Title: British 'false rape' trial suspect in Cyprus traumatized, says lawyer
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF FAMAGUSTA COURTHOUSE LAWYER FOR THE LEGAL AID GROUP JUSTICE ABROAD MICHAEL POLAK AND LAWYER LEWIS POWER Q.C., ARRIVING AT FAMAGUSTA COURTHOUSE IN PARALIMNI TWO LAWYERS WAITING FOR ELEVATOR, THEN TAKING STAIRS TAXI PULLING UP TO COURTHOUSE, VARIOUS OF BRITISH TOURIST EXITING VEHICLE WITH HER FACE COVERED WITH A CLOTH, ENTERING COURTHOUSE JOURNALISTS STANDING OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE POLAK COMING FROM INSIDE COURTHOUSE TOWARDS JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR THE LEGAL AID GROUP JUSTICE ABROAD MICHAEL POLAK SAYING: "Of course, it's traumatic, of course, the incident is traumatic for her, and then having to remain here after the incident, and then having to face trial in relation to the facts of the incident, I can't imagine what it would be like, to be honest with you." REPORTER ASKS QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR THE LEGAL AID GROUP JUSTICE ABROAD MICHAEL POLAK SAYING: "Well we hope that the evidence, especially the evidence the courts heard today, goes before the Cypriot courts and the right decision will be made." REPORTERS ASKS QUESTION "WHERE IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN ALL OF THIS?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR THE LEGAL AID GROUP JUSTICE ABROAD MICHAEL POLAK SAYING: "The high commission has been providing some support to her in this case, but she has a top team, a top legal team, we have full confidence that they will be able to properly present her case in the court." POLAK SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR THE LEGAL AID GROUP JUSTICE ABROAD MICHAEL POLAK SAYING: "She is pleased with the way today's gone, she doesn't particularly, she wants things to be completed as soon as possible, but she is pleased with the way the evidence came out today." COURTHOUSE SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR THE LEGAL AID GROUP JUSTICE ABROAD MICHAEL POLAK SAYING: "We are here with 11 phones seized, where are the WhatsApp messages? Where are the text messages? Any proper investigator would have taken those messages and would have served them on us, because if you want to know what people are thinking, and what happened, how do you see that? You see how they speak to each other, so it’s amazing that we don't have that evidence in this case. JOURNALISTS SPEAKING TO POLAK
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 13:45
- Keywords: Cyprus Briton rape Israelis tourists Ayia Napa
- Location: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS
- City: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS
- Country: Cyprus
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZEN7LZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The trial of a British tourist charged with falsely accusing a group of Israeli youths of gang-rape began in Cyprus on Wednesday (October 2) with a lawyer saying the 19-year-old woman was traumatized.
The Briton 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.
She was then released on bail until the trial, after spending a month in custody.
"Of course, it's traumatic, of course, the incident is traumatic for her, and then having to remain here after the incident, and then having to face trial in relation to the facts of the incident, I can't imagine what it would be like, to be honest with you," said lawyer from the legal aid group Justice Abroad Michael Polak outside the courthouse.
Polak said the accused was pleased with the first day of the trial and the evidence that was presented.
"We hope that the evidence, especially the evidence the courts heard today, goes before the Cypriot courts and the right decision will be made," he said.
The trial has been adjourned until October 15.
She pleaded not guilty to charges of public mischief at a hearing in August. Her lawyers had told reporters she withdrew her accusation under duress.
The charge of public mischief, carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail or a fine.
The Israeli tourists, 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: Marinos Meletiou, Deborah Kyvrikosaios) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None