NICOSIA (Reuters) – A British woman convicted for falsely claiming gang rape in Cyprus has filed an appeal to the island’s Supreme Court, seeking to clear her name.
The woman received a suspended four-month prison sentence in January 2020 in a case which sparked concern from Britain and activists about her treatment by Cyprus authorities.
Lawyers for the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and prosecutors presented their arguments before a three-bench Supreme Court in the capital Nicosia on Thursday.
The court is expected to issue a ruling within six months.
The woman, then aged 19, filed a complaint in July 2019 that she had been raped by a group of Israeli youths in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa. Days later the complaint was withdrawn, leading to her arrest and subsequent conviction for public mischief.
She maintains she withdrew her complaint under duress after hours of police questioning and without a lawyer present.
“The case is a seminal one for the protection of human rights in Cyprus, as well as the treatment of those who report sexual offences,” said Michael Polack, director of the UK-based Justice Abroad advocacy group assisting a local defence team.
Twelve Israeli youths were detained for questioning but swiftly released after the woman withdrew her accusation.
They were not required to give any evidence at the woman’s trial because the case focussed on whether the woman had mislead authorities and given a false statement, rather than the alleged rape itself.
The British government later said it had “numerous concerns” about the judicial process and the woman’s right to a fair trial. The woman was not present at Thursday’s process.
(Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
