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A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 31 december 2019
Cyprus court: British teen guilty of fabricating rape claims

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS tion, adding that she "even
Associated Press feared for her life."
PARALIMNI, Cyprus (AP) — Judge Papathanasiou dis-
A Cyprus court on Monday missed her testimony as
found a 19 year-old British being "exaggerated, con-
woman guilty of fabricat- fused, contradictory and
ing claims that she was incoherent."
gang raped by 12 Israelis Defense lawyer Ritsa Pekri
in a hotel room at a tourist asked the court to mitigate
resort in the east Mediterra- her sentence, saying that
nean island nation, saying she regretted her actions
that her story lacked cred- and only did what she did
ibility. out of "immaturity," and
Famagusta District Court because she was under
Judge Michalis Papatha- strong psychological pres-
nasiou said the defendant sure. Pekri said the woman
didn't tell the truth and tried is on anti-depressants.
to deceive the court with Outside of the court, Nico-
"evasive" statements in her letta Charalambidou, an-
testimony. other lawyer on the British
The woman says she is in- woman's legal team, said
nocent and will appeal the the conviction was expect-
ruling. Protesters stage a demonstration outside a court house in Paralimni, Cyprus on Monday, December ed and that an appeal
The case had triggered 30, 2019, in support of a 19 year-old British woman who was found guilty of fabricating claims that would be filed to Cyprus'
widespread interest in Brit- she was gang raped by 12 Israelis. Supreme Court because
ain and Israel. It was re- Associated Press defense lawyers feel that
ported as a shocking gang their client's rights to a fair
rape until Cypriot authori- drawn. The woman told dant admitted to investiga- complaint to police found trial had been "violated to
ties cast down on the wom- investigators that she had tors under questioning that no evidence of rape. The a significant degree."
an's account. been raped by as many as she had lied and apolo- judge rejected testimony Michael Polak with the
The woman, who has not a dozen Israelis aged 15-20 gized. He said she made from a pathologist testify- group Justice Abroad,
been identified, was found on July 17. Cyprus police up the claims because she ing for the defense that which also helped defend
guilty of the charge of "pub- said she retracted the al- was "ashamed" after find- rape couldn't be ruled out. the British woman, said
lic mischief," which carries legations 10 days later after ing out that some of the All 12 Israelis returned home the appeal will be based
a maximum fine of 1,700 investigators found what Israelis had videoed her shortly after their release on the premise that there
euros ($1,900) and up to a they said were inconsisten- having consensual sex with and their defense lawyers was evidence indicating
year imprisonment. She will cies in her statements. her Israeli boyfriend on their said they would sue the that the woman had been
remain in Cyprus until her Taking the stand earlier in mobile phones. He said woman for damages. raped, but that the judge
Jan. 7 sentencing. the trial, the British woman that the admission and her During the trial, the British refused to consider it.
Emerging from the court said that while she was hav- subsequent apology "was woman said that she felt Polak said the woman "is
house after the verdict, ing sex with her boyfriend, the only time the defen- threatened by investigators determined for justice to be
both the woman and her she was pinned down and dant told the truth." while she was being ques- done in her case as well as
mother wore strips of fab- others who entered the The court heard that a tioned and that she feared to help change the culture
ric over their mouths onto room raped her. physical examination of the she would be arrested if towards victims of sexual
which stitched lips were The judge said the defen- woman after she filed the she didn't sign the retrac- offences in Cyprus." q

Turkey seeks parliament approval to dispatch troops to Libya

By SUZAN FRASER nesses in the country and and Tripoli have also signed
Associated Press Turkish vessels sailing in the a maritime border deal and
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Mediterranean, according both agreements have met
Turkey's government on to the text of the motion re- with criticism across the re-
Monday submitted a mo- ported by Anadolu. gion and beyond.
tion to parliament seeking The government said it Sarraj's administration has
approval to deploy troops would decide on the size, faced an offensive since
to Libya, arguing that the timing and scope of the April by the rival govern-
conflict in the North African deployment. ment based in eastern Lib-
country could escalate into Erdogan has said the U.N.- ya and forces loyal to com-
a civil war and threaten supported government in mander Gen. Khalifa Hifter,
Turkey's interests. Libya asked Ankara to send who is trying to take Tripoli.
Legislators have been sum- troops to help authorities in Earlier, Turkey's main oppo-
moned to an emergency Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the Tripoli defend the city from sition party said it would not
session in parliament on members of his ruling party, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. an offensive by rebel forc- support the motion, saying
Thursday to vote for the 26, 2019. es. the possible deployment
motion, the state-run An- Associated Press Erdogan said the govern- would embroil Turkey in an-
adolu Agency reported, as ment of Libyan Prime Min- other conflict and make it
the government appeared motion would be submitted troops in the conflict-rid- ister Fayez Sarraj in Tripoli a party to the "shedding of
intent on rushing the bill to parliament after a winter den country, maintaining "invited" Turkey to send Muslim blood." It said Turkey
through the assembly. recess that ends on Jan 7. that developments in Libya troops after the two recent- must instead "give priority
President Recep Tayyip Er- The motion seeks a one- threaten Turkey's interests ly signed a military coop- to a diplomatic solution" in
dogan had initially said the year mandate to deploy there, including Turkish busi- eration agreement. Ankara Libya.q