Newsroom
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Cypriot authorities violated the rights of a woman who alleged she was raped in 2011, finding the state failed to properly investigate and prosecute her claims and applied sexist stereotypes during the process.
In its unanimous decision issued Thursday, the Court found Cyprus in breach of Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which pertain to protection from inhuman treatment and respect for private life. It also ruled a violation of Article 14, which prohibits discrimination.
The case involves a woman, born in 1992 and residing in Larnaca, who reported in April 2021 that she had been raped by a man in January 2011 when she was 18. Prosecutors later dropped the case, citing insufficient evidence.
The Court found that Cypriot authorities failed to conduct an effective investigation, neglected key forensic avenues, and showed a lack of understanding of the psychological dynamics of sexual assault cases. The applicant also said she was denied access to the case file without explanation and did not receive any specialized psychological or legal support.
In a particularly scathing observation, the Court said the prosecutors and the Assistant Attorney General used language reflecting “prejudices and sexist stereotypes,” undermining women’s trust in the justice system and subjecting the applicant to secondary victimization.
While acknowledging the difficulty of investigating historic allegations with limited evidence, the Court said the state had a positive obligation to pursue justice in such cases and failed to meet it.
The Court ordered Cyprus to pay €20,000 in moral damages and €15,470 in legal costs to the applicant within three months.
