- Title: Cyprus court finds 'gang rape' Briton guilty of lying, lawyer says will appeal
- Date: 30th December 2019
- Summary: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS (DECEMBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** DEFENDANT WITH HER FACE COVERED LEAVING COURT AND WALKING BY CAMERAS DEFENDANT OUTSIDE COURT WITH HER FACE COVERED PROTESTER WEARING A MASK COVERING THE LOWER PART OF HER FACE DEPICTING A FEMALE MOUTH NAILED SHUT AND HOLDING A PINK POSTER WITH THE WORD (English): 'RAPE' WRITTEN REPEATEDLY ON IT PROTESTERS WEARING MOUTH MASK (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENDANT'S LAWYER, NICOLETTA CHARALAMBIDOU, SAYING: "The verdict of the court is that our client was found to be guilty on the offence of public mischief, the decision of the court is respected, however we respectfully disagree with it. We believe that there have been many violations in the procedure and the rights of fair trial of our client have been violated. We are planning to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, hoping that our client will find justice in Cyprus." PROTESTERS HOLDING UP A LARGE BANNER READING (English): 'THE RAPIST IS YOU' AND CHANTING: (Greek) 'The patriarchy judges against us, it judges us from birth' PROTESTERS CHANTING (Greek) 'Was he innocent? No. Were my clothes? No' PROTESTERS CHANTING (Greek) 'Was my behaviour? No' PROTESTERS CHANTING (Greek) 'Your violence doesn't come from a specific breed' VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING (Greek) 'The rapist is you' (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTEST ORGANIZER, ZELIA GREGORIOU, SAYING: "This victim was never protected from instance one. From instance one she has been raped again and again by the press, by the society, by the legal system." EXTERIOR OF FAMAGUSTA DISTRICT COURT
- Embargoed: 13th January 2020 10:43
- Keywords: Ayia Napa Cyprus Great Britain Israel gang rape trial tourists
- Location: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS
- City: PARALIMNI, CYPRUS
- Country: Cyprus
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001BC644ZR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Cyprus court on Monday (December 30) found a British woman guilty of lying about being gang raped by Israeli youths six months ago.
In a case closely followed by rights groups, a district court in the town of Paralimni ruled that the woman, aged 19 at the time, had lied about being sexually abused by 12 Israeli teenagers.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested after police said she had withdrawn an accusation that the teenagers had raped her in a hotel room at the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in July.
She was convicted of public mischief, which carries a fine, a jail term of up to one year, or both.
The woman maintained that she had recanted her accusation under duress from police during persistent questioning without a lawyer present. Prosecutors and the court dismissed that claim.
Her lawyers said she would appeal.
The Israelis were released without charge 10 days after being arrested, on the day the woman retracted her accusation.
The individuals she had accused were not summoned to court because prosecutors considered the case one of public mischief, not rape.
In testimony in open court, the defendant said she had been in a hotel room with one of the Israeli youths, with whom she had a relationship, before others appeared and she was pinned down.
One defence witness, Marios Matsakis, a forensic pathologist who formerly worked for the state, said the woman's injuries were consistent with rape. Prosecutors said she had fabricated the allegation, angry at being filmed during sex.
"This victim was never protected, from the first instance... she was raped again and again by the press, by society and the legal system," said Zelia Gregoriou, an activist who stood with about 20 individuals protesting against the verdict with a large banner reading 'The rapist is you'.
The woman left the courthouse with a blanket over her face and a handkerchief around her mouth, imprinted with the same image of female lips nailed shut that the protesters were wearing.
She will be sentenced on January 7.
(Production: Marinos Meletiou, Michele Kambas, Phoebe Fronista) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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