A 19 year old British woman accused of making a false gang rape allegation is attempting to raise £15,000 to pay her legal fees, the Daily Mail reports.
Her family argues that the statement in which she retracted her claim she had been gang raped by 12 Israelis was given under duress and in breach of her rights.
The woman is currently in police custody and faces a charge of causing public mischief by making a false allegation.
She has not entered a plea and when she appeared in court earlier this week her lawyer withdrew from the case citing a serious disagreement with her family and his client.
Proceedings were adjourned to August 19 to give her time to find new legal counsel and the woman will remain in police custody until then.
According to the Daily Mail, her family have started a go fund me page to raise money to pay for her legal team to fight a charge of public mischief.
A UK organisation called Justice Abroad has claimed detectives had coerced her into withdrawing her rape allegation, an allegation rejected by police.
Human Rights lawyer Michael Polak said she was given a statement to sign after eight hours in a police station and without access to legal representation.
It led to seven Israeli men being allowed to return home with no charges. Five other suspects had been released earlier.
Mobile phone footage of the woman having sex was later leaked online.
Police deny the allegations and say acted professionally throughout. The charge of public mischief carries a sentence of up to a year.
The go fund me page is being administered by lawyer John Hobbs and is entitled ‘Help teen victim get justice in Cyprus,’ the Daily Mail said.
The go fund me page says: In the early hours of Sunday the 28th of July 2019, following a week of traumatic events, our daughter was arrested for allegedly making a false allegation of rape in Cyprus and is currently being detained in prison awaiting trial.
‘We maintain that the statement was given under duress and in breach of her rights, resulting in the collapse of the initial investigation and charges of public mischief being made against her.
‘She is alone in a prison abroad after an awful series of events, we just want to bring her home. ‘We are seeking funds to pay for the required legal representation in Cyprus.
‘The organisation Justice Abroad has already been providing assistance within the UK. They are bringing together an expert legal team, from both the UK and Cyprus, to challenge the many breaches of her rights and require funds to do so.’
Read more
https://in-cyprus.com/trial-of-rape-claim-british-woman-postponed/
