Newsroom
A young man was acquitted of rape charges last week after a Limassol court raised doubt over lack of consent by the female accuser, who woke up dizzy and naked on the bed of a rental property after a fraternity party.
According to local media, a 25-year-old male last week was acquitted during a rape trial in a Limassol criminal court after prosecutors failed to call a material witness to the stand.
The case dates back to February 2021 when a 20-year-old woman and two female friends attended a private fraternity-style party at a rental property in a village in Limassol, organized by the defendant and his male friends.
She could not remember what took place immediately after but the following morning she woke up naked on the bed with intense pain inside a specific part of her body
According to details in the case, the young woman felt intense dizziness after she and her friends had drinks but told police she could not remember what took place immediately after.
The following morning she woke up naked on a bed at that residence while also feeling intense pain inside a specific part of her body.
She then call her parents who came and picked her up while the young man later filed a complaint with police, accusing the defendant of unwanted sexual intercourse without her consent.
The man, who was arrested after the complaint, argued that the woman wanted to have sexual intercourse with him and added that all sexual acts took place with her consent.
Reports said the He-Said-She-Said trial took place behind closed doors, with little information made known to the media.
But local reports said prosecutors failed to call a material witness to testify before the court, prompting the judge panel to point out that any testimony crucial in assessing guilt ought to have been presented during the trial.
“Failure to call on a material witness can shake the accusation at its core because it keeps various aspects of the case unknown,” the judges said.
The trial was brought to a close with a statement by the court, saying both charges of rape and indecent assault could not be proven.
“The establishment of the constituent element of lack of consent, which is claimed by the complainant for both offenses, has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” the judges ruled.
