Five Israelis charged with rape of British woman in Ayia Napa hotel, Cyprus

Five Israeli nationals, aged 19 to 20, who are suspects in a case of gang rape of a 20-year-old British woman in Ayia Napa will face trial before the Famagusta Criminal Court on October 5.

The suspects have been charged with rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual intercourse through violence, rape by compelling sexual penetration, indecent assault against a woman, sexual harassment, and abduction.

The Court has ordered their detention until tomorrow, pending a decision on whether to grant the public prosecutor’s request to keep them in custody until the trial.

The five men deny raping the 20-year-old, who had identified four of them in a lineup. It’s worth noting that injuries and bruises were found on the young woman’s body, as documented in a forensic report.

The British woman reported the gang rape on Sunday, September 3. She told the police that she had gone to the hotel where the suspects were staying to attend a pool party.

According to her account, an unknown Israeli man began flirting with her. The suspect is then alleged to have forcibly taken her by the hand and led her to the hotel room where he stayed with other compatriots.

There, as the 20-year-old reported, she was sexually assaulted successively by individuals who followed suit.

The case has garnered extensive international media attention, drawing comparisons to that of a 19-year-old British woman who, in 2019, had accused 12 Israelis of gang rape.

In-Cyprus