Israeli rape suspects freed, woman who alleged assault arrested (Updated)

Police on Sunday freed the last seven of 12 Israeli tourists accused of rape by a British woman 19 in Ayia Napa.

The woman has allegedly confessed that she had made a false rape claim, state broadcaster Cybc reported, citing police sources. She is expected to appear in court Monday morning.

“Rape never took place,” a source told Reuters, adding that the woman was being held on suspicion of public mischief.

The Daily Mail reported on Sunday that doubts about the woman’s story began after one of the teens she identified as taking part in the gang rape was able to prove he was in bed with his girlfriend who had taken a selfie.

Authorities on Thursday released five of the 12 Israeli nationals arrested on suspicion of gang-raping the 19-year-old. The other seven were re-remanded on Friday for six days. Their ages range from 15 to 18. Three of the suspects did admit to having consensual sex with the woman.

One of the lawyers for the seven,  Nir Yaslovitzh, announced in a statement Sunday morning that the suspects, all teenagers, would be released, according to the Times of Israel. “As I claimed throughout, there was no rape in Cyprus,” he said. “The youths who went on a vacation that became a nightmare will return to their homes today. All of them will return home to their families. Cypriot police carried out a professional and thorough investigation.”

The newspaper, citing Cypriot media said the woman was suspected of filing a false rape complaint against the Israelis because they filmed her during the sex acts without having received her permission to do so.

Another lawyer for some of the suspects, Yaniv Havari, told the Kan public broadcaster that his clients were able to provide convincing evidence that they did not commit the crime. “She lied, she said 12 of them raped, that is what she claimed,” Havari said. “For nearly two weeks that is what she has claimed and after all 12 of the detainees gave their version, it seems her version doesn’t stand up.”

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.