UK authorities ‘deeply distressed’ by Cyprus rape-case verdict, will act upon it

“We believe there have been many violations of procedure and the rights of a fair trial,” Defense lawyer Nicoletta Charalambidou said, adding that they plan to appeal the decision.

By ROSSELLA TERCATIN
A 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 covers her face as she arrives at the Famagusta courthouse in Paralimni, Cyprus
(photo credit: REUTERS/YIANNIS KOURTOGLOU)
UK authorities expressed concern after a verdict by a Cypriot court found a 19-year-old British woman guilty of falsely accusing a group of young Israeli men of gang-raping her, the Guardian reported on Monday.
“The UK is seriously concerned about the fair trial guarantees in this deeply distressing case and we will be raising the issue with the Cypriot authorities,” a Foreign Office spokesman said, according to the report.
The people involved in the case were on vacation on the island in July. The young woman reported to the police that after willingly deciding to go to a hotel room with one of the Israeli youngsters to have sex with him, another eleven followed them and raped her. The group - ages 15 to 22 -  was detained. Three Israelis 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 suspects were released and allowed to return home after the police received results of DNA tests and watched footage of the event they had taken. The other seven suspects were kept in custody for another week.
The woman later 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.
Since the confession, the 19-year-old has spent over a month in prison and her passport has been confiscated by Cyprus authorities.
Following Monday’s verdict that found her guilty of committing public mischief and lying, she could face up to one year of prison and a fine up to €1,000. The sentence is expected on January 7.
Defense lawyer Nicoletta Charalambidou said that they plan to appeal the decision before the country’s supreme court and, if this proved not to be enough, before the European Court of Human Rights.
“We believe there have been many violations of procedure and the rights of a fair trial,” she told the Guardian.
“The judge has been very strict,” she added. “He has rejected all the witnesses of defense and our repeated requests to expedite the case.”
According to the report, during the trial Judge Michalis Papathanasiou refused to discuss the issue of whether the rape had taken place or not, including not admitting the testimony of a medical expert who was called by the defense to confirm that the girl was indeed raped.
“The guilt of the accused is proven. She has confessed,” the judge stated as reported by the Guardian.
Several activists from rights group rallied at the courtroom to protest the trial.
Speaking to the British newspaper, some of them suggested that the handling of the case and the verdict were the result of Cypriot leaders’ will to please Israel.
“This is certainly not the first case of rape in Cyprus and certainly not the first time that a rape complaint is ignored, but it also takes place at a very significant time when Cyprus is trying to reinvent its relationship with Israel both economically and as a partner in defense,” said Zelia Gregoriou, who teaches gender studies at the University of Cyprus and is a member of the newly established Network Against Violence Against Women.
Alon Einhorn and Reuters contributed to this report.


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