Parents of alleged Ayia Napa gang rape victim feel optimistic

[Dominic]

The SUN NEWS -- Today


Cyprus rape case teenager: Gang were like a pack of wolves
A British teenager found guilty of lying about being gang-raped in Cyprus has said she was attacked by a group of young men and boys behaving "like animals".
The 19-year-old claimed she was raped by up to 12 Israeli tourists in a hotel room in the town of Ayia Napa on July 17, before being charged herself after signing a retraction statement 10 days later.
She maintains she was raped, but was forced to change her account under pressure from Cypriot police following hours of questioning alone and without legal representation.
The assaults were so frenzied she did not know how many of a group of 12 boys and young men raped her, she told the Sun.
"They were lining up, excited, talking and shouting in Hebrew," said the teenager, who cannot be named.
"I was trying to fight them off but I just couldn't.
"They were like a pack of animals – a pack of wolves." She admitted thinking she was going to die during the incident, which happened when she was 18.
She spent a month in prison before being granted bail in August, flying back to the UK earlier this month after being given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for three years, at Famagusta District Court in Paralimni.
Since returning to Britain she has launched an appeal against her public mischief conviction to Cyprus's supreme court.
Political opponents have weighed in, with Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon telling the House of Lords that issues around the case were of "deep concern" and Liberal Democrat Baroness Hussein-Ece calling it "a grotesque miscarriage of justice".

I wonder if the likes of Lord Ahmad and Baroness Hussein-Ece have seen the film?

I haven't seen it, so cannot comment. But surely that will have the answer.

[Jimgward]

I haven’t seen, nor would want to, the film. I have spoken to people who have and it is apparently consensual sex with 3 or 4 lads, with consensual filming. Beyond that, it may have been rape, but the portrayal varies so much, she has done her case no good.

[WHL]

What every one is missing here, is that 'Sordid story's' sell, gutter rags like the Mirror/Sun/ Mail, dont care about facts, as long its one of our own 'English girl', add to that she is up against a bunch of dago foreigners , then we have our story.... cha ching

[Devil]

Simply put, IMHO: she's a money-grabbing bitch of the first water. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

[Yioula]

The gutter press will definitely make their spin on this, they never lets facts get in the way of a good story, sensationalism sells the papers.
I wonder what the next outcome will be and when it will play out in court.......

[Dominic]

I haven’t seen, nor would want to, the film. I have spoken to people who have and it is apparently consensual sex with 3 or 4 lads, with consensual filming. Beyond that, it may have been rape, but the portrayal varies so much, she has done her case no good.

That's what I heard too.

[Steve - SJD]

Simply put, IMHO: she's a money-grabbing.....

To be fair I think that is harsh and I don't believe that money was ever the motive.

My own opinion on this is that after a good night out - drink/drugs etc - she went back to his room. Events unfolded and whilst initially she was ok with it she then wanted it to stop or did not want it to go that far. I cannot say whether she felt that way during the events or after.

Probably embarrassed, scared or under the influence she described incorrectly the first part but perhaps not the second. The police spotting the contradiction between her statement, the video and the fact that some of those arrested had alibis quickly decided the whole rape allegation was unsafe and false.

The press reports immediately after did not help and I feel led to her being arrested, charged and eventually tried in court for the false allegation.

As more will certainly come out about the case I don't believe it will be helpful for either side and probably not for rape victims in the future.

Cheers

Steve

[Yioula]

It’s the Daily Mail’s interpretation of their interview with this young girl today which gives a synopsis of her stay at Nicosia Central Prison
The closing paragraph stating “Cyprus isn’t safe. It’s just not a question of staying with friends and watching what you’re drinking. The judicial system isn’t safe - and that’s what I’m fighting “

[WHL]

It’s the Daily Mail’s interpretation of their interview with this young girl today which gives a synopsis of her stay at Nicosia Central Prison
The closing paragraph stating “Cyprus isn’t safe. It’s just not a question of staying with friends and watching what you’re drinking. The judicial system isn’t safe - and that’s what I’m fighting “

Sure it is, so you did this interview for free, pull the other one.

[Dominic]

Let he who is without sin and all that.

But you missed this, for a start.

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=11200&p=105803#p105803

[galexinda]

... she has given interviews saying she had been locked up with killers in a cell infested with cockroaches, sleeping on ‘military-style’ bunk beds, on plastic sheets with scratchy wool blankets to which she was allergic. She lost weight because the prison food made her sick, suffered nightmares and was given anti-panic medication.

In its written statement, Nicosia Prison said that in the light of these claims, two UK consular officials — regional consul for Greece and Cyprus Clare Douglas and deputy consul Christina Smith of the British High Commission in Cyprus had requested a meeting with the management of the prisons. This was held yesterday.

“During the meeting they expressed their appreciation for the excellent cooperation of the Prisons Department with the High Commission in the last five years, fully recognising the work carried out at the prisons, the interest and support to inmates as well as the high level of living conditions, food, education, exercise, recreation, contact with relatives and friends and health services to our inmates,” it said.

The announcement added: “Being aware of the handling of the case of the British woman by the prisons from the first day of her custody until she was free, they expressed their sadness as the content of her claims, which as was explained with documentation, in no way corresponds to reality.”

A meeting will also be held soon with the British High Commissioner in Cyprus.

https://in-cyprus.com/prisons-say-alleg ... LEWDE2ebvU

[Yioula]

The gutter press sensationalise facts to sell stories that sell newspapers........it did sound rather Dickensian for the 21st Century the only thing absent was the
Interviews in the press in this nature will only prove harmful for the appeal........

[Yioula]

The gutter press sensationalise facts to sell stories that sell newspapers........it did sound rather Dickensian for the 21st Century the only thing absent was the
Interviews in the press in this nature will only prove harmful for the appeal........
It would appear that £££ is becoming the front runner rather than reputation

[WHL]

She's just a liar as proven in court, no more no less, my sympathys are with real rape victims.,

[WHL]

She's just a liar as proven in court, no more no less, my sympathys are with real rape victims.,

There you go again. YOU have NO proof. The only ones who know are the ones who were there.

Breaking news... there was a trail, she was found to have lied, google it,

[Steve - SJD]

She's just a liar as proven in court, no more no less, my sympathys are with real rape victims.,

There you go again. YOU have NO proof. The only ones who know are the ones who were there.

She gave two statements to the police regarding the initial encounter with "Sam" which led to the alleged rape then changed the account when confronted with further information to it being a consensual encounter. In court her evidence and statement confirmed that the first two statements she gave to the police regarding this part were not correct - according to the court. It can't be the case that this change on how it started was part of the claims of a forced retraction as it was a position she basically maintained in court.

Worth noting that the descriptions of how the rape supposedly started (from her own interviews) is different in the article posted in The Sun and the article in the Daily Mail. In one she details kissing him and hearing the door open and was then grabbed by him and thrown on to the bed. In the other she describes kissing him on the bed which lead to consensual sex until she saw the light of the door opening when everything changed.

I kind of agree with you though that the only ones who truly know what went on in that room were the ones present - however even then their
recollection of events may well be different especially if drink/drugs are involved. Unfortunately it would seem to me that mistakes were made on all sides and it's unlikely that we will ever know the full truth - instead people will make up their minds - often based on potentially inaccurate or incomplete reports in the press.

Cheers

Steve

[OldTimer]

I do hope the hotel and the Cprus Government sue both the girl and her parents for defamation and loss of tourism caused by thie lieing scrote and her parents

[Steve - SJD]

I do hope the hotel and the Cprus Government sue both the girl and her parents for defamation and loss of tourism caused by....

Personally I would hope that the Cyprus government would concentrate on addressing some of the problems in the system that this case has highlighted.

Let's be clear, prosecutions for rape are extremely difficult regardless of the country and circumstances. Just look to the recent press in the UK regarding the extremely low prosecution rate in rape cases reported in the UK for evidence of that. You could argue that if a country the size of the UK, with all their resources, can't get it right then what hope is there for Cyprus? That however would be defeatist and Cyprus should look to what it can do better in such cases and learn from past mistakes.

From what has been noted from the court it would appear that some things were provided that are helpful in such cases i.e. welfare officers, psychiatric counseling etc.

It is also clear that some things need changing with immediate effect i.e. the recording of all police interviews with those arrested, specially trained police officers to investigate these specific type of cases, on-going and relevant training for judges who hear the cases.

Regardless of the exact detail of this particular case, it is undeniable that it has been damaging for Cyprus. Taking control of the situation and making speedy changes is not only the best thing to do it's the right thing to do for any future victims.

Cheers

Steve