The European Court of Human Rights has concluded that Cypriot authorities mishandled their investigation into the case of a British woman who was found guilty of allegedly lying about a gang rape attack before her conviction was overturned.
The woman, then 19, reported to Cypriot police in July 2019 that she had been raped in Ayia Napa but later retracted her allegation after being held without a lawyer.
The Court found that “the Cypriot authorities failed in their obligation to effectively investigate the applicant’s complaint of rape and to adopt a victim-sensitive approach when doing so.”
The case has drawn significant attention to the handling of sexual assault allegations and the treatment of victims within the Cypriot legal system.
The woman, who spent four and a half weeks in prison, maintained that she was coerced into retracting her statement.
Her conviction for public mischief was overturned by the Cypriot Supreme Court in January, which cited investigatory failings and a misinterpretation of evidence.
Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, Cypriot authorities have not launched a fresh investigation into the alleged rape.