UK woman arrested over Cyprus rape case says ‘police made her confess to lying’
Lawyers for 19-year-old who dropped allegations of gang-rape by 12 Israelis, claim she was 'given a choice of reasons' as to why she made up the story by police
A young British woman who said she was gang-raped by Israeli men in Cyprus before being arrested for lying about it was threatened by Cypriot police, say lawyers representing her.
The 19-year old woman, who is still being held in Nicosia Prison, said she was raped by a group of 12 Israelis who were staying at her Ayia Napa hotel and partying before their military service.
Five Israeli men were released shortly after the allegations were first levelled in mid-July, and the seven remaining were released last week, after the woman retracted her statement before being arrested for “public nuisance”.
As the Israelis returned home to a “hero’s welcome,” with chants of “Israeli pride,” lawyers representing the woman said she was threatened and made to sign a confession, while being refused a lawyer.
Justice Abroad, a London-based company representing the woman, said a Cypriot officer “told her to write a confession and that if she did not do so he would arrest her friends in Cyprus for conspiracy, naming the friends he would arrest if she refused”.
The organisation, which was co-founded by London barrister Michael Polak, said the teenage woman was “refused” a lawyer, at which point she said: “You have to be f******kidding me.” She left the room crying, and upon her return was told she could now be arrested for swearing at a police officer.
“Further pressure was placed upon her to write the confession despite her stating that she did not want to,” said Justice Abroad. “The purported confession was dictated to her and she was told what to include.”
Lawyers said she was “given a choice of reasons” as to why she made up the story, before “a stand-off… the Police Officer telling her that she had to and that if she did not sign it he would arrest her but if she did she could return back to her hotel”.
Cypriot police have denied the story as “unrealistic” while Israeli lawyer Nir Yaslovitzh, who represented four of the men, said the woman was “changing her version of events like a chameleon changing its colours… She is clearly lying”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
