Newsroom
An asylum seeker says she was raped by five men at Pournara migrant camp, with police confirming a complaint has been filed but no suspects have yet been identified.
According to local media, a woman from Nigeria told Pournara officers that she was gang raped by five of her countrymen at the facility, where she has been staying in a room despite having concluded her registration with camp officials.
The young woman filed a rape complaint with police on Tuesday, alleging she was raped by five males a week prior, with sources telling Knews the alleged incident had taken place five days earlier.
The woman had completed her asylum registration with migration authorities but it was not immediately clear why she kept staying at Pournara
Reports said the woman was unable to file a complaint earlier, citing personal shock, and ended up telling camp officers a day later that she was the victim of rape.
Police told Knews on Thursday that no suspects have been identified in the case, adding that both Kokkinotrimithia police station and CID Nicosia were investigating the allegations.
A doctor has reportedly examined the accuser while police were said to have been waiting on results to determine the course of their investigation.
Additional reports said the woman had completed her asylum registration with migration authorities but it was unclear why she kept staying at Pournara.
Authorities have been helping the woman find a place to stay after her rape complaint was filed with police.
All asylum applicants in the Republic of Cyprus are required to check in at Pournara in order to file their migration paperwork at the camp, which was originally designed to host asylum seekers for a maximum of 72 hours for initial checks and processing.
Officials recently said applicants file all their paperwork before getting out but many end up coming back due to finding unsuitable living conditions outside the camp or facing red tape in qualifying for state benefits.
