| This Cyprus stuff 08:08 - Jan 7 with 1957 views | uefacup81 |
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the process that's been followed, and the allegations of the trial having been unfair, surely it sets a worrying precedent that there are suggestions that the Foreign Secretary has pressured Cyprus into handing down a more lenient sentence? |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 08:11 - Jan 7 with 1936 views | Steve_M |
Less of a worrying precedent than letting some Israelis off so as not to jeopardise a gas deal? |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 08:11 - Jan 7 with 1937 views | itfcjoe |
I think it is hard to look at it without considering the allegations of the trial from the little bit I've read about it |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 08:12 - Jan 7 with 1931 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
Unless of course she wasn't guilty in the first place? |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 08:16 - Jan 7 with 1917 views | uefacup81 |
| This Cyprus stuff on 08:12 - Jan 7 by Cheltenham_Blue |
Unless of course she wasn't guilty in the first place? |
I get entirely what you're saying there, and agree that the evidence suggests that the conviction is massively unsafe.
For some reason though, and I can't put my finger on why, these backroom deals over sentencing just don't sit comfortably with me. | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 08:56 - Jan 7 with 1849 views | Radlett_blue |
| This Cyprus stuff on 08:16 - Jan 7 by uefacup81 |
I get entirely what you're saying there, and agree that the evidence suggests that the conviction is massively unsafe.
For some reason though, and I can't put my finger on why, these backroom deals over sentencing just don't sit comfortably with me. |
Makes sense - the girl gets to go home & a political issue is neutralised. One shouldn't really comment on the guilt or not of someone unless they've been following the whole case very closely. But if Harvey Weinstein gets off, I will be unhappy. |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 09:11 - Jan 7 with 1804 views | IpswichKnight |
From what I've read it sounds like we've actually done some good here, the conviction sounds massively unsafe there are no recordings of the police interview with the girl just her statement that she claims was dictated to her was accepted as the truth.
If Raab has secured a lenient sentence that has got her home today then well done to him, now he needs to get Trump to hand over the American who killed the biker so she can stand trial ( we should issue a red notice to Interpol for her to make sure that she can not leave the USA and royally do over her husband who will then have to be desk bound that might get the Yanks notice ) |  | | |
| This Cyprus stuff on 09:16 - Jan 7 with 1790 views | chicoazul |
| This Cyprus stuff on 08:16 - Jan 7 by uefacup81 |
I get entirely what you're saying there, and agree that the evidence suggests that the conviction is massively unsafe.
For some reason though, and I can't put my finger on why, these backroom deals over sentencing just don't sit comfortably with me. |
Nor should they, because you're quite right. If that is indeed what happened, and we can assume it is since Raab blabbed about it all over the TV. |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 09:28 - Jan 7 with 1762 views | Guthrum |
| This Cyprus stuff on 09:16 - Jan 7 by chicoazul |
Nor should they, because you're quite right. If that is indeed what happened, and we can assume it is since Raab blabbed about it all over the TV. |
Altho other pressure factors can be added to that - the strength of local protests at what has happened and the fear of tourists staying away damaging the economy. |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 10:14 - Jan 7 with 1718 views | flimflam |
| This Cyprus stuff on 09:11 - Jan 7 by IpswichKnight |
From what I've read it sounds like we've actually done some good here, the conviction sounds massively unsafe there are no recordings of the police interview with the girl just her statement that she claims was dictated to her was accepted as the truth.
If Raab has secured a lenient sentence that has got her home today then well done to him, now he needs to get Trump to hand over the American who killed the biker so she can stand trial ( we should issue a red notice to Interpol for her to make sure that she can not leave the USA and royally do over her husband who will then have to be desk bound that might get the Yanks notice ) |
A lenient sentence when she has been raped by 12 men and then pressured to retract her statement?
Raab should be going full out to identify everyone involved in this bent case. The more publicity it gets the more their tourism gets hurt which might make them then take this seriously. |  |
| All men and women are created, by the, you know the, you know the thing. |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 10:20 - Jan 7 with 1706 views | jeera |
Your link won't open for me but I assume it includes how she wasn't even allowed her lawyer present when she 'confessed'.
I agree, the whole thing stinks. |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 10:27 - Jan 7 with 1694 views | flimflam |
| This Cyprus stuff on 10:20 - Jan 7 by jeera |
Your link won't open for me but I assume it includes how she wasn't even allowed her lawyer present when she 'confessed'.
I agree, the whole thing stinks. |
The Gemini Project, a non-profit organisation aiming to end sexual violence through advocacy and campaigns, was incensed about the BBC coverage of the Ayia Napa case, which they described as ‘shameful’. They put together a Twitter thread that contained all the details the BBC didn’t include in their news report which they believe should have been mentioned. Here, we have published it in full. The BBC’s report should have been as follows:
A 19 year old British woman has been accused of ‘public mischief’ after she was forced into withdrawing her allegation of being gang-raped by 12 Israeli tourists aged between 15-22 in Ayia Napa. The victim wrote and signed a statement 10 days after initially reporting the incident, retracting the allegations. The statement was written and signed after nearly 9 hours of overnight questioning whilst the victim was suffering from PTSD, under duress and facing threats of arrest by Cypriot police.
The police denied the victim access to a lawyer, a violation of the European Convention on Human rights.
Once the statement was signed the 10 alleged assailants were released and allowed to return home to Israel where they were met by relatives at Ben Gurion airport with champagne and chanting ‘The Brit is a whore.‘
SafeSubcribe/Instant Unsubscribe - One Email, Every Sunday Morning - So You Miss Nothing - That's It
The victim was then jailed for a month following her retraction, before being released on bail in August 2019 but had her passport confiscated so has been unable to return home. The victim alleges she was having consensual sexual relations with one of the men before others appeared and pinned her down. The victim stated she ‘couldn’t breathe’ as a man pinned her down by placing his knees on her shoulders whilst others shouted and jeered.
Once the attack was over she fled the hotel and went to a clinic before the police were called.
She was so terrified she passed out twice in the police car. A doctor for the defence told the court he was adamant “violence was exercised” and that injuries found on the victim’s body were “consistent with the rape having taken place”.
The police have evidently failed to follow correct procedure, denied her access to a lawyer, failed to properly photograph and measure bruising, failed to examine clothing, failed to record their questioning and coerced her into signing a false statement.
Video footage of the incident was taken and circulated by the alleged assailants. The prosecution stated she made up the allegation after being humiliated by video footage being circulated online. It is not illegal to film and circulate a sex act without permission in Cyprus. The assailants were not present and not required to give evidence at the trial despite four traces of DNA being found on the victim and one of the men originally stating that they all met outside the apartment and said ‘we’re all going to f*** the English girl’ and bragged they were going to ‘do orgies’ with her.
The police have evidently failed to follow correct procedure, denied her access to a lawyer, failed to properly photograph and measure bruising, failed to examine clothing, failed to record their questioning and coerced her into signing a false statement.
The victim has suffered a clear breach of her human rights through lack of a fair trial, as well a miscarriage of justice on top of the traumatic experience of being gang-raped. As a result of the verdict, she could face up to a year in jail and a £1,500 fine.
The victim’s lawyers have vowed to appeal the decision and take it to the Supreme Court of Cyprus and to the European Court of Human Rights.
The victim, in this case, has suffered unimaginable trauma from July, when the incident occurred, to present. It is unthinkable that a victim of gang rape has been mistreated in such a way after trying to seek justice.
She has been let down, suffered human rights violations and been traumatised further. The British government must do everything in their power to challenge this grave injustice and ensure the woman can return home to the UK.
Her mother Jenny has said that the lack of government support has shocked her, adding that other than a consular officer visiting her daughter and helping her visit her in prison she’s seen and heard nothing from those at a higher level.
She stated: ‘I’m shocked that neither the EU, the Embassy or government through my MP have stepped in to ensure fundamental rights under EU law are observed. You have a concept that if something goes wrong, you’ll be helped by having a British passport -that’s not my experience.‘
Earlier this evening the Foreign Office and Dominic Raab finally commented on the case. We hope they soon take action.
Further news
The Cyprus Mail, unworried by the actual rape case or how it was handled by the authorities reports that — “Cyprus’ tourism industry could take a real hit if a campaign urging holidaymakers to shun the island (of Aiya Napa) gains traction.”
The mother (who cannot be named) of the victim has decided that economic pressure may get results. “My personal view is that that’s a good thing to do, because from what I’ve seen … this is not an isolated incident,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “The place [Ayia Napa] isn’t safe — it is absolutely not safe. And if you go and report something that’s happened to you, you’re either laughed at, as far as I can tell, or, in the worst case, something like what’s happened to my daughter may happen.”
The mother also confirmed that her daughter had planned to go to university this year after being accepted for the courses she applied for and being offered a bursary at one institute.
As at 0700 hrs 05/01/20 a GoFundMe campaign has seen thousands of people donate — the amount raised so far is £130,236
Sentencing of the victim will be on 7th January. | |
| All men and women are created, by the, you know the, you know the thing. |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 10:41 - Jan 7 with 1673 views | itfcjoe |
| This Cyprus stuff on 10:27 - Jan 7 by flimflam |
The Gemini Project, a non-profit organisation aiming to end sexual violence through advocacy and campaigns, was incensed about the BBC coverage of the Ayia Napa case, which they described as ‘shameful’. They put together a Twitter thread that contained all the details the BBC didn’t include in their news report which they believe should have been mentioned. Here, we have published it in full. The BBC’s report should have been as follows:
A 19 year old British woman has been accused of ‘public mischief’ after she was forced into withdrawing her allegation of being gang-raped by 12 Israeli tourists aged between 15-22 in Ayia Napa. The victim wrote and signed a statement 10 days after initially reporting the incident, retracting the allegations. The statement was written and signed after nearly 9 hours of overnight questioning whilst the victim was suffering from PTSD, under duress and facing threats of arrest by Cypriot police.
The police denied the victim access to a lawyer, a violation of the European Convention on Human rights.
Once the statement was signed the 10 alleged assailants were released and allowed to return home to Israel where they were met by relatives at Ben Gurion airport with champagne and chanting ‘The Brit is a whore.‘
SafeSubcribe/Instant Unsubscribe - One Email, Every Sunday Morning - So You Miss Nothing - That's It
The victim was then jailed for a month following her retraction, before being released on bail in August 2019 but had her passport confiscated so has been unable to return home. The victim alleges she was having consensual sexual relations with one of the men before others appeared and pinned her down. The victim stated she ‘couldn’t breathe’ as a man pinned her down by placing his knees on her shoulders whilst others shouted and jeered.
Once the attack was over she fled the hotel and went to a clinic before the police were called.
She was so terrified she passed out twice in the police car. A doctor for the defence told the court he was adamant “violence was exercised” and that injuries found on the victim’s body were “consistent with the rape having taken place”.
The police have evidently failed to follow correct procedure, denied her access to a lawyer, failed to properly photograph and measure bruising, failed to examine clothing, failed to record their questioning and coerced her into signing a false statement.
Video footage of the incident was taken and circulated by the alleged assailants. The prosecution stated she made up the allegation after being humiliated by video footage being circulated online. It is not illegal to film and circulate a sex act without permission in Cyprus. The assailants were not present and not required to give evidence at the trial despite four traces of DNA being found on the victim and one of the men originally stating that they all met outside the apartment and said ‘we’re all going to f*** the English girl’ and bragged they were going to ‘do orgies’ with her.
The police have evidently failed to follow correct procedure, denied her access to a lawyer, failed to properly photograph and measure bruising, failed to examine clothing, failed to record their questioning and coerced her into signing a false statement.
The victim has suffered a clear breach of her human rights through lack of a fair trial, as well a miscarriage of justice on top of the traumatic experience of being gang-raped. As a result of the verdict, she could face up to a year in jail and a £1,500 fine.
The victim’s lawyers have vowed to appeal the decision and take it to the Supreme Court of Cyprus and to the European Court of Human Rights.
The victim, in this case, has suffered unimaginable trauma from July, when the incident occurred, to present. It is unthinkable that a victim of gang rape has been mistreated in such a way after trying to seek justice.
She has been let down, suffered human rights violations and been traumatised further. The British government must do everything in their power to challenge this grave injustice and ensure the woman can return home to the UK.
Her mother Jenny has said that the lack of government support has shocked her, adding that other than a consular officer visiting her daughter and helping her visit her in prison she’s seen and heard nothing from those at a higher level.
She stated: ‘I’m shocked that neither the EU, the Embassy or government through my MP have stepped in to ensure fundamental rights under EU law are observed. You have a concept that if something goes wrong, you’ll be helped by having a British passport -that’s not my experience.‘
Earlier this evening the Foreign Office and Dominic Raab finally commented on the case. We hope they soon take action.
Further news
The Cyprus Mail, unworried by the actual rape case or how it was handled by the authorities reports that — “Cyprus’ tourism industry could take a real hit if a campaign urging holidaymakers to shun the island (of Aiya Napa) gains traction.”
The mother (who cannot be named) of the victim has decided that economic pressure may get results. “My personal view is that that’s a good thing to do, because from what I’ve seen … this is not an isolated incident,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “The place [Ayia Napa] isn’t safe — it is absolutely not safe. And if you go and report something that’s happened to you, you’re either laughed at, as far as I can tell, or, in the worst case, something like what’s happened to my daughter may happen.”
The mother also confirmed that her daughter had planned to go to university this year after being accepted for the courses she applied for and being offered a bursary at one institute.
As at 0700 hrs 05/01/20 a GoFundMe campaign has seen thousands of people donate — the amount raised so far is £130,236
Sentencing of the victim will be on 7th January. |
My wife had told me the details of this but it is horrifying to read.
Cyprus being in the EU as well as us for the time being should mean something like this shouldn't be allowed to happen. I know countries have their own laws but there has to be something unifying at EU level when a citizen of one country is being treated so disgracefully in another | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 10:55 - Jan 7 with 1638 views | jeera |
| This Cyprus stuff on 10:41 - Jan 7 by itfcjoe |
My wife had told me the details of this but it is horrifying to read.
Cyprus being in the EU as well as us for the time being should mean something like this shouldn't be allowed to happen. I know countries have their own laws but there has to be something unifying at EU level when a citizen of one country is being treated so disgracefully in another |
She's been bullied hasn't she, by a system that sounds archaic as ours once was.
It seems like the 'asking for it' attitude, like she was some lower life form or other. | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 12:07 - Jan 7 with 1567 views | uefacup81 |
| This Cyprus stuff on 10:14 - Jan 7 by flimflam |
A lenient sentence when she has been raped by 12 men and then pressured to retract her statement?
Raab should be going full out to identify everyone involved in this bent case. The more publicity it gets the more their tourism gets hurt which might make them then take this seriously. |
I think you actually hit the nail on the head there as to why this sits so uncomfortably with me. It's the fact that the current outcome is a whole b*gger's muddle which suits nobody.
*If* she's guilty, then Raab should be keeping his nose out and respecting the sovereignty of another nation and their legal system.
If, on the other hand, and as the evidence suggests, she's innocent and the victim of a catastrophic miscarriage of justice, the Foreign Office should be doing all they can to get the conviction overturned and allowing justice to prevail, not just settling for the conviction being upheld but the girl being allowed home with a slap on the wrist. | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 14:11 - Jan 7 with 1467 views | jeera |
| This Cyprus stuff on 12:07 - Jan 7 by uefacup81 |
I think you actually hit the nail on the head there as to why this sits so uncomfortably with me. It's the fact that the current outcome is a whole b*gger's muddle which suits nobody.
*If* she's guilty, then Raab should be keeping his nose out and respecting the sovereignty of another nation and their legal system.
If, on the other hand, and as the evidence suggests, she's innocent and the victim of a catastrophic miscarriage of justice, the Foreign Office should be doing all they can to get the conviction overturned and allowing justice to prevail, not just settling for the conviction being upheld but the girl being allowed home with a slap on the wrist. |
Her lawyer is already [reportedly] working on it.
This is where, hopefully, the EU courts will come into their own.
I can't help but think of the poor family who recently drowned in a swimming pool in Spain and wonder if standards and methods of investigation seems to differ amongst countries so greatly, or whether the influence of tourism is strong enough to sway attitudes. It didn't seem to be a very thorough investigation either.
See also missing child taken in Portugal. | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 14:34 - Jan 7 with 1439 views | Ryorry |
A side issue, but will the UK continue to have access to the European Court of Human Rights post-Brexit? |  |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 14:36 - Jan 7 with 1427 views | Steve_M |
| This Cyprus stuff on 14:34 - Jan 7 by Ryorry |
A side issue, but will the UK continue to have access to the European Court of Human Rights post-Brexit? |
The ECHR is nothing to do with the EU. | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 15:05 - Jan 7 with 1392 views | Ryorry |
| This Cyprus stuff on 14:36 - Jan 7 by Steve_M |
The ECHR is nothing to do with the EU. |
Ah - cheers. | |
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| This Cyprus stuff on 02:32 - Jan 8 with 1149 views | jeera |
| This Cyprus stuff on 08:11 - Jan 7 by Steve_M |
Less of a worrying precedent than letting some Israelis off so as not to jeopardise a gas deal? |
Interesting to see support from a women's group who travelled especially from Israel.
She is home and adamant she has been wronged.
Seeing images of the men celebrating like it's some joke and pictures of her, her mother, and the emotion surrounding her case, it is difficult to not have sympathy and think she could well be, not only innocent, but a victim of a particularly nasty kind of injustice here.
I sincerely hope the truth comes out and if the girl is worthy - which I am thinking she fully is - justice is pursued relentlessly. | |
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