19-year-old British woman arrested on suspected false report of gang rape in Cyprus
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Police in Cyprus said they arrested a 19-year-old British woman on Sunday on suspicion of filing a false complaint of gang rape for which a dozen Israeli teens had been detained as suspects.
Police said a group Israeli teenagers had initially been detained as suspects on July 18, after the woman reported she had been assaulted in a hotel room in the party resort of Ayia Napa.
“All seven Israelis have been released, since 10am,” a police spokesman said. “The young woman will be taken to court tomorrow morning.”
Yiannis Habaris, who represents two of the Israelis, said investigators questioning the teenager had concluded that her allegations “didn’t stand to reason”.
The Cypriot lawyer said seven of the 12 who were still in custody this morning, had now been released. The other five had been freed last week. The youths had all denied the claim.
Reuters reported two police sources had confirmed the 19-year-old British woman was arrested on suspicion of filing a false complaint and of public mischief.
The Guardian reports that a police source said the British teenager had been arrested on “charges of giving a false statement over an imaginary offence”.
