British teenager given suspended jail term for ‘false’ Cyprus rape claim

Lawyers for the woman say she was raped in the seaside resort of Ayia Napa by 12 Israeli teenagers in July

Activists stage a demonstration outside the Famagusta District Court in support of a British woman found guilty of lying about her rape. EPA

A court in Cyprus gave a British teenager a four-month suspended prison sentence after she was convicted of falsely accusing a group of Israeli tourists of gang rape.

She was facing a year in prison in a case which sparked protests in Britain after she said Cypriot police forced her to retract the rape accusations.

Her sentence was suspended for three years and she was ordered to pay €148 (Dh606) in legal fees. The judge told the young woman “statements you have given were false” as he convicted her on December 30 of “public mischief”.

The British government said it would talk with Cyprus to ensure a similar case could not happen again.

Protesters gathered outside the Famagusta District Court on Tuesday, shouting “Cyprus justice, shame on you”.

The teenager’s mother told reporters after the sentencing that she was relieved her daughter would be able to return home. Lawyer Lewis Power, part of the teenager’s defence team, said an appeal would be filed with Cyprus’s Supreme Court and potentially with the European Court of Human Rights for “elements of this case which did not result in a fair trial”. The teenager, 19, “intends to have a positive outlook to move on from this process, not to let this process ruin her life”, Mr Power told The Associated Press. “She’s delighted today, not just for herself, but for the impact that this case has had on all those women that are the subject of sexual assaults around the world.”

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was relieved the decision meant the teenager could return home but told reporters he would raise some of the issues over the case with Cypriot authorities.

“There is a broader issue for Brits travelling not just in Cyprus or indeed in Europe, but travelling abroad ... to make sure that they can do so as safely and as securely as possible,” he said.

Activists cheered outside the court when news of the suspended sentence came through.

Anna Kleiman, of the Israeli group Lotem, branded the conviction a disgrace and said it could prevent the woman from pursuing her dreams.

“This is shameful that she was even suspected for the beginning and it's unbelievable. We are furious,” Ms Kleiman said.