Ayia Napa ‘gang-rape’ student says she was forced to retract rape accusation against Israelis

UK. (QNN)- A 19-year-old British tourist who was allegedly gang raped by 12 Israelis at a resort town in Cyprus has claimed she was forced to retract her accusation under pressure from local police.
The teenager said she was denied a lawyer and then pressurised to withdraw her complaint by detectives, who threatened to arrest her friends for “conspiracy” if she did not comply, reported the Sun.
She also said that officers then dictated a statement in which she admitted faking allegations — and she reluctantly signed only because she was exhausted after eight hours at the police station and none of the interviews were recorded.
Lawyer Michael Polak, of campaign group Justice Abroad, who defends the teenager said: “The confession was obtained under oppression given the threats made. She was not cautioned and was not given access to a lawyer as was her right under the European Convention on Human rights.
“Further, the teenager was not told she could leave the police station nor given the option of leaving at any point.
“It is also understood that unfortunately none of the proceedings at the Cypriot police station were recorded.”
Shortly before she was chrged, the girl sent a message to her friends telling them that she was not allowed to talk to any one.
“They’ve just tried to make me sign something else. I tried to send a photo to my mum. Thee female police officer shouted at me and took it away.”, she wrote. “I said I have a right to have a lawyer here. Not in Cyprus, maybe the UK not Cyprus.They’ve honestly made me sign false…”
Last month, 12 Israelis aged 15 to 18 were arrested on suspicion of raping a British teen in their hotel room in the popular tourist resort of Aya Napa, Cyprus. However, little over a week later all 12 teenagers were released and allowed to return to Israel after the British woman admitted to having fabricated her accusations against them.
The teens did not express any regret about the incident, with one telling Hebrew-language media: “I feel great. The truth came out and I am happy.” Another teen called his release “a miracle from God” and vowed to sue the British teen for libel.