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3mo ago

European Court Rules Cyprus Failed to Investigate British Woman's Gang Rape Allegation

The court found significant investigative failures and systemic bias in the handling of the 2019 case, ordering damages for the victim.

The building of the European Court of Human Rights is seen in Strasbourg, France March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler/File Photo
FILE - Lawyer Michael Polak, background, is seen as protesters hold banners in support of a British woman, outside of Cyprus' Supreme Court in the capital Nicosia on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)
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FILE - Suspects cover their faces with their shirts as they arrive at the Famagusta courthouse in Paralamni, Cyprus, Friday, July 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)

Overview

  • The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Cypriot authorities failed to effectively investigate a British woman's 2019 gang rape allegation in Ayia Napa.
  • The woman, then 18, retracted her statement after hours of police interrogation without legal representation, later claiming she was pressured into doing so.
  • She was convicted of 'public mischief' and given a suspended sentence, but Cyprus's Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 2022 due to investigative shortcomings.
  • The ECHR found breaches of Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing a lack of victim-sensitive procedures and systemic gender bias.
  • Cyprus was ordered to pay €25,000 in damages and costs, though its attorney general has yet to reopen the investigation into the original allegations.