A British teen has been remanded in custody in Cyprus after being accused of filing a false gang rape complaint to police.
The 19-year-old appeared in court this morning where her hearing was put back until the next morning. Her Cypriot lawyer is currently abroad having surgery.
The 19-year-old appeared in court this morning where her hearing was put back until the next morning. Her Cypriot lawyer is currently abroad having surgery.
The teen has been arrested on suspicion of public damage but has not yet been formally charged and so cannot be named. She had alleged that 12 Israelis had raped her in a hotel room in the party resort of Ayia Napa earlier this month. They were all arrested but five were released on Thursday following extensive DNA testing and the remaining seven were released over the weekend after Ms Heath 'changed her story'.
Police sources said last week that she had retracted her statement after being further questioned by detectives over the weekend following the examination of further DNA results. She is suspected of filing a false complaint against the men because some of them filmed her during consensual sex without her permission. Shielding her face under a jacket, she arrived at the court this morning in the town of Paralimni under police escort. Wearing a black hooded top with Nike leggings and black trainers, she remained silent throughout the 20-minute hearing. Doubts about her story began after one of the teens she identified as taking part in the gang rape was able to prove he was in bed with his girlfriend who had taken a selfie. A police spokesman in Nicosia said:' A 19-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of making false allegations 'Yaniv Habari, a lawyer for some of the now freedmen, told MailOnline: 'The woman has changed her story. Those in custody will be released and allowed to leave.'
He said the accuser 'regretted what she said and that parents of the remaining seven men were 'obviously very happy and they want to get their children back as soon as possible.' Habari also said that his clients 'will take action, civil action' against their accuser. Three of the men admitted having sex with the British woman and said it was consensual. The others all denied rape.
Five of the 12 were released without charge on Thursday when there was no DNA evidence to link them to the alleged sex attack at the Pambos Napa hotel in Ayia Napa. The woman had claimed she agreed to sex with one of the men but was held down by others and raped in the early hours of the morning. A medical exam had shown scratches and bruises on her thighs. All of the 12 men made a brief appearance at the same court . Lawyer Nir Yaslovitzh. Who represented two of the accused, said: 'As I claimed throughout, there was no rape in Cyprus,'' The youths who went on a vacation that became a nightmare will return to their homes today. All of them will return home to their families.' Cypriot police carried out a professional and thorough investigation.'