Cyprus
A young woman wants to report a rape – then she is accused herself. Now she’s right
A young woman was allegedly raped in Cyprus. At an earlier hearing, demonstrators stood in front of the court.
© Philippos Christou/ / Picture Alliance
It must have been a horror scenario for the young woman from Great Britain: in July 2019, the then 19-year-old went to the police in Cyprus and said that she had been raped. But when she withdrew her accusation as she was being held without a lawyer at the police station, the Cyprus court convicted her of public indecency. But now she was finally able to appeal – with success.
Agia Napa is a well-known resort town on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The young British woman worked there over the summer of 2019 and dated a young man from Israel who lived with a few friends in the same resort as her. In July, the young woman then goes to the Cyprus police and says that she was raped by 12 men in the hotel.
Cyprus: Woman is believed to have been raped by 12 men and then accused herself
But when she was not provided with a lawyer at the police station, she withdrew her statement after being held there for seven hours. As a result, the then 19-year-old was tried and sentenced for causing a public nuisance. The suspected men were taken into custody but denied the allegations and said all sex was consensual. They were released and allowed to fly home.
In September last year, the young Brit was allowed to appeal. Now the Supreme Court in Nicosia finally upheld the appeal: the conviction was overturned after she was sentenced to four months in prison in January 2020. She and her defense attorneys were successful in their appeal, arguing that the original conviction of indecency was unjustified. Many women’s rights activists gathered outside the Supreme Court, showing their support for the young woman.
After alleged rape: Young woman is successful in court
The 21-year-old no longer has to serve her four-month prison sentence. Specifically, the lawsuit sought to have her conviction overturned to clear her name. Her lawyer explains that this would otherwise be in her file and that it would be difficult to apply for a job with such a note. The memories of that time would also be traumatic.
The Supreme Court in Cyprus has admitted that the young woman did not get a fair trial. Quite the contrary: the trial judge had repeatedly shouted: “This is not a rape case” and arguments proving that the woman had been raped were not heard.
The woman’s family are now demanding that the original rape allegations be investigated so that she can be given “true justice”. The mother, who supported her for days in court, said she hopes her daughter’s suffering will at least bring about positive changes in the future treatment of crime victims. Activists and advocates described it as a victory for justice, but also as a farce that it had to come to this in the first place.
Sources:BBC, BBC, “The Critic”