Police investigate alleged rape of Swedish tourist

FAMAGUSTA police were yesterday investigating the alleged rape of an 18-year-old Swedish tourist in Ayia Napa on Monday.

According to a police bulletin, the tourist told investigators that she got into a taxi to go back to her hotel at around 3.45am.

She claimed there was another man sitting in the back when she got in. At some point the taxi driver allegedly told her that he would hurt her unless she had sex with his passenger.
According to the 18-year-old, the taxi driver then drove her to a remote location where she was allegedly forced to have sex with the passenger.

The tourist was examined by State Pathologist Sophocles Sophocleous, who did not find any external signs of physical abuse.

The unknown passenger is described as dark-skinned, with short dark hair, aged 25 to 30, possibly a Cypriot.

Meanwhile, a 25-year Limassol man arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged rape of a 32-year-old Cypriot woman on Sunday, has been released, police said yesterday.

The woman told police that the 25-year-old allegedly drove her to a remote location in Moni where he asked her to have sex with him and she refused. She then claimed he hit her and raped her and that he then drove her to a hotel in Limassol where he raped her again.

State Pathologist Panicos Stavrianos, who examined the alleged victim, said she had bruising on the inside of her thighs as well as other signs of physical abuse.

But a Limassol court on Monday did not find the woman’s testimony to be very convincing, since she could have alerted hotel staff in Limassol when she was taken there that she had been raped.

The judge also said that she could have left when the suspect had fallen asleep, but she instead waited for him to wake up, and then went and bought sandwiches and milk with him.

The 25-year-old was released without charge.