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Police have arrested the Ayia Napa rape accuser on public mischief charges, with reports saying she is believed to have falsely claimed she was gang raped by Israeli teens ten days ago.
(Click here for an update to the story)
Local media reported that all seven remaining Israeli suspects in the Ayia Napa gang rape case were expected to be released on Sunday, after sources said the accuser appeared to have changed her story.
Police sources told Knews it was not clear whether police would release the girl on Monday or seek further detention pending investigation into false statements
The 19-year-old British female initially filed a complaint on July 17, reportedly saying she was gang raped in her hotel room after midnight in the resort town. Later that morning, police arrested twelve Israeli teens, aged 16 to 18, on suspicion of rape based on the woman’s allegations.
But on Sunday, local reports suggested investigators pressured the woman over apparent gaps in her story, with the rape accuser finally changing her story.
Police say no evidence of rape
She reportedly admitted that she had consensual sex with three Israeli teens, essentially confirming reports that had been leaked previously to the media. It was reported that she told police that after starting to be intimate with one of the suspects, others barged in and held her down, laughing, while she was being raped and sexually assaulted. But on Friday, police hinted at probative DNA that made the participation of some suspects less likely.
Police sources told Knews it was not fully clear whether prosecutors would seek a court order on Monday for the woman to be remanded in custody. It is understood that the British tourist was detained on Sunday pending investigation as to whether she made false statements to the police. In such cases, police could decide to press charges with the suspect being released until her court date.
The penal code defines public mischief as a guilty act by “any person who knowingly makes to any police officer a false statement concerning an imaginary offence.”
Woman says she felt violated
However, local reports also said the woman maintained that she felt angry and violated upon realizing that others had been recording video of the sexual encounters. Police did not share details about the complaint.
The case was widely reported in the local and foreign media, especially in Israel and the UK, with all twelve Israeli teens denying rape allegations from the beginning. Additional reports suggesting the woman had filed a rape complaint in the past could not be independently confirmed.
