British teen in rape trial gets suspended jail term in Cyprus

[snoop1130]

British teen in rape trial gets suspended jail term in Cyprus

 

A British woman, accused of lying about being gang raped, covers her face as she arrives at the Famagusta courthouse in Paralimni, Cyprus, January 7, 2020. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou

 

PARALIMNI, Cyprus (Reuters) - A British teenager accused of faking a gang rape allegation was given a suspended sentence by a court in Cyprus on Tuesday in a case which has prompted a rare rebuke from Britain and protests from activists who say she did not get a fair trial.

 

The 19-year-old has said she was coerced into withdrawing her complaint that she was raped in July by a group of Israeli youths in Ayia Napa, a holiday resort popular with teenagers.

 

She was convicted on Dec. 30 of public mischief, which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, a fine, or both, after the court found she had filed a fake report about being sexually assaulted.

 

Dressed in black and standing silently before the judge in a packed courtroom the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was sentenced on Tuesday to four months in jail, suspended for three years.

 

Raising his voice over chants from outside the courtroom in support of the woman, Judge Michalis Papathanasiou said he took into account her age, clean criminal record and remorse, and said he was giving her a “second chance”.

 

“All mitigating factors were taken into account but it does not negate the seriousness of the offence,” Papathanasiou said, noting that 12 individuals had been briefly detained on the basis of her accusation.

 

Outside, a group of about 150 women demonstrated, shouting “blaming the victim is the second rape” and “Cyprus justice shame on you”. They included almost 60 activists from Israel who had flown in specifically to support the woman.

 

Police ordered window blinds in the courtroom to be pulled down to block the sight of protesters who crowded onto a ledge shouting slogans.

 

“We are here to raise social awareness of rape. There is no justice here,” said Israeli activist Dana Salmon.

 

SERIOUS CONCERNS

 

Lawyers for the woman say she will appeal to clear her name.

 

“The fight for her innocence will go on regardless,” said Lewis Power QC, who was assisting the local defence team. “We will maintain this young girl was stripped of her dignity and basic human rights.”

 

The woman insists that an attack took place and that she was pressured to withdraw her complaint during overnight questioning from police and with no lawyer present. One defence witness, a former state forensic pathologist, said her injuries were consistent with rape.

 

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said he has ‘very serious concerns’ about the treatment of the woman, who had been banned from leaving the island and who her lawyers say is suffering from post-traumatic stress.

 

The case has shone a harsh spotlight on Cyprus, which is popular with British holidaymakers, and prompted calls to boycott the island.

 

Twelve Israeli youths who were detained for questioning were swiftly released after the woman recanted her accusation. They were not required to give any evidence at the woman’s trial.

 

Cypriot newspapers have reported that authorities were poised to give a presidential pardon. A senior government source told Reuters that was premature and would depend on the court sentencing, but that President Nicos Anastasiades was following the case closely.

 

Lawyers for the woman say they will press ahead with an appeal regardless because a pardon would not expunge her criminal record.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-07

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[IAMHERE]

What's the Israel press saying about this?

[thaibeachlovers]

Seems like a good result.

[Mick501]

Book and movie deal won't be far away.  

[snowgard]

40 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems like a good result.

But not if she was real raped!!!

[thaibeachlovers]

5 minutes ago, snowgard said:

But not if she was real raped!!!

Yes, but the court said she wasn't.

[thaibeachlovers]

25 minutes ago, Mick501 said:

Book and movie deal won't be far away.  

Tv movie only.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“The fight for her innocence will go on regardless,” said Lewis Power QC, who was assisting the local defence team.

Oh yes, lots of money to be made by the lawyers.

[snowgard]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Yes, but the court said she wasn't.

Sure, and you still believe about Santa Claus?
 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Twelve Israeli youths who were detained for questioning were swiftly released after the woman recanted her accusation. They were not required to give any evidence at the woman’s trial.

 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

One defence witness, a former state forensic pathologist, said her injuries were consistent with rape.

So much for a fair trail!!!

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, snowgard said:

Sure, and you still believe about Santa Claus?
 

 

So much for a fair trail!!!

I fail to see what point you are making. The court said she lied, ergo, unless that verdict is overturned in an appeal that is the official judgement.

[sharecropper]

Well-connected Israeli rapists get away with it.

[brokenbone]

3 minutes ago, sharecropper said:

Well-connected Israeli rapists get away with it.

no, that is the least plausible of all hypothesis

[nobodysfriend]

She was found guilty of being gang-raped ...

 

 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

One defence witness, a former state forensic pathologist, said her injuries were consistent with rape.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

She was found guilty of being gang-raped ...

 

 

 

"Consistent with" is not necessarily being raped, which is why they cover their backside with words like "consistent with" ( if he had been certain he would have said so ), and even if it was rape, did the pathologist say it was consistent with being raped by 12?

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Yes, but the court said she wasn't.

 

And courts are never ever wrong, especially in such just countries like Cyprus!

 

 

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, brokenbone said:

no, that is the least plausible of all hypothesis

 

Why is that hypothesis the least plausible. Please explain your reasoning.

[Mick501]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

"Consistent with" is not necessarily being raped, which is why they cover their backside with words like "consistent with" ( if he had been certain he would have said so ), and even if it was rape, did the pathologist say it was consistent with being raped by 12?

Consistent with sexual assault is a very misleading term.  It is very common that abrasions/tears occur during normal sexual activity, let alone rough consensual sex.  Unless there is some catastrophic injury, there is no way to distinguish between sexual assault or otherwise.   

 

This is a selective quote cited deliberately to misrepresent.  The first question asked of experts who make this claim would be, "could this also be consistent with consensual sex?"  The answer will invariably be yes.   The expert likely mentioned this in their evidence, but it was omitted in reporting.

[Traubert]

10 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

What's the Israel press saying about this?

They were throwing stones so we shot them. Err...... ahh (turns page)

 

Down with Hezbollah. Err no, that's not it (turns page)

 

This is a wicked anti-semitic smear.

 

The usual response.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And courts are never ever wrong, especially in such just countries like Cyprus!

 

 

Where did I say that? Short of the appeals court agreeing to overturn the verdict, that's the end of the road for her, and I wonder who is paying for the appeal, and should that succeed, the next trial.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 hours ago, Mick501 said:

Consistent with sexual assault is a very misleading term.  It is very common that abrasions/tears occur during normal sexual activity, let alone rough consensual sex.  Unless there is some catastrophic injury, there is no way to distinguish between sexual assault or otherwise.   

 

This is a selective quote cited deliberately to misrepresent.  The first question asked of experts who make this claim would be, "could this also be consistent with consensual sex?"  The answer will invariably be yes.   The expert likely mentioned this in their evidence, but it was omitted in reporting.

I already addressed that in the other thread when it was brought up. I said it could be caused by rough sex, which some women like.

[Calach]

Boys will be boys... 

[CNXexpat]

Why the court believes more the boys than the girl is the only question. I guess the court has also other evidences. I don´t have the files so I can not judge - like others in this thread.

[mogandave]

1 hour ago, CNXexpat said:

Why the court believes more the boys than the girl is the only question. I guess the court has also other evidences. I don´t have the files so I can not judge - like others in this thread.

Because the girl apologized for lying. 
 

[CNXexpat]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

Because the girl apologized for lying. 
 

I can´t find this information in the article. Do you have a source?

[Bruntoid]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:17 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems like a good result.

A rape victim getting a jail sentence is a result ?? 
 

What kind of forum is this ?!! 

[Bruntoid]

4 hours ago, mogandave said:

Because the girl apologized for lying. 
 

You missed the coerced bit I guess ? 
 

 

[Bruntoid]

On 1/8/2020 at 11:04 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Yes, but the court said she wasn't.

Yet a forensic pathologist said she was - rather selective with our finger pointing aren’t we ! 

[Bruntoid]

On 1/8/2020 at 11:05 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Tv movie only.

From a simple search on here at least you won’t be the first person on thai visa forum to find rape funny and get away with it ! 

[mogandave]

3 hours ago, Bruntoid said:

You missed the coerced bit I guess ? 
 

 

The judge coerced her in court? Yeah, I guess I missed that. 
 

I would have thought her attorney(s) would have objected. 

[Thongkorn]

11 hours ago, Calach said:

Boys will be boys... 

 Hope one of your relations never get gang raped,