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A 19-year-old British girl, who says she was gang raped in Ayia Napa last week by twelve Israelis, is expected to pick suspects in a police lineup.
(Click here for an update to the story)
The alleged victim told police she was held down by force on Tuesday night, in a hotel room in the resort town about half an hour past midnight, as the suspects, all Israeli youths in their late teens, took turns raping her, adding that some did not use protection.
Suspect says it was consensual
During police interrogation, all suspects have denied the allegations while at least three of them later admitted having sex with the girl but maintained sexual intercourse was consensual.
But other reports said it was not clear whether the video was made during the alleged incident or earlier
According to the formal complaint, the girl told police she had gone to the hotel room voluntarily and started having sex with one suspect, but then other Israeli youths barged in and took turns raping her and sexually assaulting her. She reportedly said the suspects were laughing and using their phones to record video during the alleged gang rape.
A new video, previously unseen by police, has emerged reportedly showing the main suspect and two of his friends having sex with the alleged victim, with the Israeli youth telling police there was no rape.
The main suspect, who reportedly recorded the video, asked police “do you see any rape here?” according to Israeli media.
But other reports said it was not clear whether the video was made during the alleged incident or during an earlier sexual encounter.
Police point to physical evidence
A Famagusta district judge, who ordered the suspects remanded in custody, heard about forensic evidence, including DNA and video footage, as well as scratches on the alleged victim’s limbs. The girl was reportedly examined by a doctor on Wednesday morning after she had filed her complaint with police.
Reports said the girl had met the main suspect days earlier and the two had sex on several occasions.
The British tourist maintains that she was having consensual sex with one suspect when other youths came into the room and took turns in raping her. She also said that about half an hour into the alleged incident, she remembers seeing the faces of twelve Israeli youths before passing out, adding that she did not know most of them.
The British tourist is expected to identify a number of suspects in a police lineup.
Recent reports by the Jerusalem Post suggested that the attorney for some of the suspects hinted that the case could take a “dramatic turn” but declined to elaborate further.
