A British woman was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of falsely claiming she was gang-raped by 12 Israeli teenagers in Cyprus.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the 19-year-old tourist filed a complaint of rape on July 18 after the teens she was with started recording video and taking pictures during the act in a hotel room in the Mediterranean resort of Ayia Napa. The dozen Israelis were detained and held as suspects until she admitted the sexual intercourse was allowed with her consent.
The woman’s arrest was extended to Monday and a hearing for her case was rescheduled for Tuesday because her lawyer had not reached Cyprus yet.
“As I have argued throughout the process, there was no rape in Cyprus,” attorney Nir Jeslovich, who represents some of the accused, said to the Jerusalem Post. “The young men who went on a vacation that became a nightmare will go home today, and everyone will return to their homes and families. The Cyprus Police conducted a thorough, professional investigation.”
The woman originally stated that she willingly went to a hotel room with one of the suspects but said the other 11 Israelis showed up and gang-raped her.
Authorities determined her claim “didn’t stand to reason” after questioning the teenagers, according to Yiannis Habaris, an attorney for two of the Israelis.
Three of the teens admitted to having consensual sexual intercourse with the woman, while the other nine denied having any physical interaction with her.
Five of the suspects were released from custody last week, and the other seven were let go on Sunday after investigators reviewed video footage and tested DNA samples.
