Derbyshire woman accused of lying about Cyprus gang-rape has conviction quashed

A Derbyshire woman found guilty of lying about being gang-raped in Cyprus has won her appeal to overturn the conviction at the Mediterranean island’s supreme court.
By Alana Roberts
Published 31st Jan 2022, 13:40 BST
Updated 31st Jan 2022, 13:41 BST
The Derbyshire teenager convicted of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists, pictured covering her face after leaving Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in eastern Cyprus on December 30, 2019 (Photo by IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP via Getty Images)The Derbyshire teenager convicted of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists, pictured covering her face after leaving Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in eastern Cyprus on December 30, 2019 (Photo by IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP via Getty Images)
The Derbyshire teenager convicted of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists, pictured covering her face after leaving Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in eastern Cyprus on December 30, 2019 (Photo by IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP via Getty Images)

The then 19-year-old told Cypriot police she had been attacked by up to 12 Israeli men and boys in a hotel room in Ayia Napa in July 2019.

She was later handed a suspended four-month jail term for fomenting public mischief after signing a retraction statement – something which her defence team argued was extracted under duress after she was held without a lawyer or translator during eight hours of police questioning.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On Monday, a tribunal at the supreme court in the capital Nicosia threw out the case, acknowledging the now 21-year-old student had not been given a fair trial.

Women's rights activists stage a protest in support of a Derbyshire teenager accused of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists, during her trial at the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in eastern Cyprus, on December 30, 2019 (Picture: Getty)Women's rights activists stage a protest in support of a Derbyshire teenager accused of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists, during her trial at the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in eastern Cyprus, on December 30, 2019 (Picture: Getty)
Women's rights activists stage a protest in support of a Derbyshire teenager accused of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists, during her trial at the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in eastern Cyprus, on December 30, 2019 (Picture: Getty)

Speaking of the verdict Nicoletta Charalambidou, the woman’s Cypriot lawyer, said: “This is a very important day for women’s rights and in particular for victims of rape or other forms of sexual violence in Cyprus.

“The acquittal by the supreme court of the young teenager points to the failure of the authorities to effectively investigate the rape claims she reported. This is what we will now pursue.”

Read More
Watch these amazing finds by a Chesterfield town centre pub manager

The woman, who has never been publicly identified, and her family did not attend the hearing but welcomed the outcome in a statement.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is a great relief we hear that the authorities in Cyprus have recognised the flaws in their legal process,” the statement issued by her mother said.

“Whilst this decision doesn’t excuse the way she was treated by the police, or the judge or those in authority, it does bring with it the hope that my daughter’s suffering will at least bring positive changes in the way victims of crime are treated.”

Michael Polak of the legal aid group Justice Abroad, who had coordinated the appeal against the conviction, added: “This is a watershed moment, not just for our client who has always maintained her innocence even when doing so caused her the hardship of not being able to return home during the lengthy trial proceedings, but also for others round the world in similar positions.”

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.