Ayia Napa ‘rape lie’ Brit will be treated as a sex attack victim by cops in the UK
A BRIT teen convicted of lying about being raped in Ayia Napa will be treated as a sex attack victim in the UK, police said today.
The unnamed 19-year-old was found guilty by a Cypriot judge of making up claims she was attacked by 12 Israelis.
But many have raised doubts over the case, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying he had “very serious concerns” about her treatment.
And Brit cops have now said she will be offered family liaison and victim support services when she returns home, reports.
Anyone convicted of lying about rape by a British court would be denied these, reflecting doubts over the fairness of the girl’s trial.
Derbyshire constabulary said: “We will be providing support to the family and to the teenage girl and that will take various forms, one of which will be signposting and support around her as a victim of rape because she maintains that she is a victim.”
The woman boarded a flight back to the UK on Tuesday after a judge gave her a suspended jail term for “public mischief”.
But despite being given a suspended sentence, the teen has vowed to clear her name with the help of a team of legal experts.
Lawyers now have just ten days to submit an appeal to the Supreme Court of Cyprus and will then wait to see if it has been accepted by a tribunal.
'MY FIGHT GOES ON'
A specialist in human rights and part of the teen's defence, Nicoletta Charalambidou, told Sun Online: "We are preparing to submit an expedited appeal request so that it can be heard within six months.
"We have ten days from the day of sentencing, but will likely use all of them to prepare the ground properly."
After landing back in the UK the young woman was overcome with emotion and told The Sun how she was desperate to enjoy England’s “cold weather”, tuck into a “cheeky Nando’s” and go for walks with her pet dog again.
The woman, who insists she is innocent, vowed: “My fight goes on”.
She and her mother boarded a BA jet from Larnaca to London after two passengers gave up their seats for 550 euros, following an appeal for volunteers by airline staff.
In an exclusive interview, she said: “I really thought it would be a custodial sentence when I arrived at court. When the translator said four months, I thought I was going to jail.
“It was only when she said suspended that I realised I was actually finally going home. I looked at my mum and we both had tears in our eyes. I’m so delighted to be going home.”
The teen voiced appreciation to hundreds of donors to her legal fund — many of them loyal Sun readers.
She added: “I want to thank everyone who has supported me. I am innocent and the fight will go on to clear my name.
'A NIGHTMARE'
“It’s been a nightmare for me, mum and everyone. Now I just want to be with my friends and family.
“What kept me going was my family and the amazing support of my friends and all other people who got in contact to say they believed me.
“Now, at last, I can go home to my own bed. I’m even looking forward to the cold weather back in England!
“I can’t wait to have a cheeky Nando’s and to take my dog for a long walk through the countryside.”
The teenager, who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, was forced to spend nearly five weeks in prison on remand in a cell with up to nine other women.
Even after being granted bail in August, she was kept under virtual house arrest in a villa in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa and had her passport seized.
Her lawyers have already begun work on the appeal. Judge Michalis Papathanasiou suspended her jail term for three years, and ordered her to pay £125 court fees.
He told her he was giving her a “second chance” after last week convicting her despite huge holes in the prosecution’s case.
'VERY AGGRESSIVE'
The judge sparked fury by insisting “all the evidence shows that she had lied”. He dismissed expert defence witnesses as “unreliable” while ruling all prosecution ones “credible”.
Prosecutors also tried to pass off injuries to the woman — said to have been caused when she was held down by her attackers — as “jellyfish stings”.
She told The Sun: “I felt the judge was very aggressive towards me and vindictive. He was misogynistic towards me and my female defence team. They were barely allowed to ask questions and yet the prosecutor had me on the stand for six hours.”
Well-wishers chanted outside the court yesterday and held signs saying, “We Believe You”.
Her ordeal began last summer after she flew to Ayia Napa for a working holiday before university. On July 17 — in floods of tears — she and a pal rushed to tell cops she had been gang-raped by a group of Israelis. Police arrested the 12 suspects aged 16 to 19, but later released them.
MOST READ IN UK NEWS
Cops then accused her of making up the claims. She was quizzed for eight hours without a lawyer before being ordered to sign a dictated statement retracting her allegations.
Last night the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Foreign Office will be working with Cyprus and other countries on how we can avoid cases like this happening again.
“We have had numerous concerns about the judicial process in this case.
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]