British tourist 'dragged into Ayia Napa hotel room and gang-raped' by five men
A British woman has described being gang-raped while on holiday in Cyprus by five Israelis after being “forcibly dragged” into a hotel room in the party resort of Ayia Napa.
The tourist, aged 20 at the time of the alleged attack, was escorted under police protection into Famagusta criminal court on Tuesday as she prepared to give testimony behind closed doors. It was the first time since identifying the suspects in a police line up last September that the Brit has come face-to-face with the men.
“She is being incredibly brave,” said a cop in Paralimni where the court hearing was held. “She went in with her head held high.”
In a case being closely monitored by the UK’s Foreign Office, the three-member panel of judges signalled it would give the Brit, who cannot be legally named, “as long as needed” to testify before the court. Her account of the September 2 attack – deemed too horrific to report by media outlets – is expected to last days with officials emphasising that security will be draconian.
Women's rights activists holding a placard outside the court (AFP via Getty Images)The defendants, aged between 19 and 20, from a town near Acre, in northwest Israel, were brought by police van to the court from the Mediterranean island’s central prison where they have been detained since October. At first, all five pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual intercourse through violence, rape by compelling sexual penetration and abduction. During police questioning, three of the defendants later admitted having sex with the woman but described it as consensual.
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The victim said she was dragged by one of the men into the hotel room after initially meeting them at a pool party at the Ferandia Gardens hotel in Ayia Napa. Once in the room, others were lying in wait. DNA evidence and a medical examination by a doctor - who reported the woman bleeding profusely - supported her claims.
In a setback for the prosecution, the Famagusta court last month rejected DNA evidence connecting two of the accused to the alleged attack, saying it could not be accepted because police had used “improper methods” to collect it. The development has highlighted the importance of the testimonies with the court.
The allegations have evoked memories of a similar case when a British student accused 12 Israeli teenagers of gang rape in Ayia Napa. Although convicted of lying about being gang-raped, her conviction was eventually quashed. Lawyers for the 21-year-old, who also cannot be named, appeared before the Supreme Court in Cyprus to hear a judge’s decision after appealing in September.
The woman, a university student from Derby, was 19 when she was given a suspended four-month jail term in 2020 by a Cypriot judge who found her guilty of public mischief following a trial at Famagusta's District Court.
Cyprus has become increasingly popular among young Israelis with both cases causing outcries in the country.
Orit Sulitzeanu, the executive director of the country’s Association of Rape Crisis Centres, described the latest suspected incident as being part of a pattern. She said: "This case is a warning for Israeli society because this is not an isolated case ... a dangerous phenomenon of group sexual abuse is developing here as part of the culture of recreation abroad. The education system in Israel has a critical role in educating the youth about healthy sexuality and preventing sexual harm."
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