British teenager convicted of making up rape claims against 12 Israeli men in Cyprus

[TheWitchIsBack]

This whole case horrifies me. That poor girl suffering such a horrendous ordeal and then being forced by the people who should be helping her to recant her statement without legal counsel present is an absolute shitshow. They’ll hide behind process but the HO should be stepping in to provide counsel at this stage, it’s absolutely ridiculous they’ve not.

 

[Lars Guinard]

From what I have read in various media it is a common practice for young men from Israel to visit such holiday resorts and engage i new drinking/partying/‘meeting girls’ before military service. I am not sure why some of the men were as young as 15 though.
Maybe the video was not of the girl at the centre of all this but even if she engaged in sex willingly, I don’t think anybody deserves having it filmed and distributed. I have read she was angry at being thrown out of the room and decided to tell the police...but it’s all speculation.
It does not excuse the celebratory behaviour of the boys and their parents. At the very least they participated in and thought it was ok to distribute the video.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

Looks like she is to be pardoned without having to admit guilt. Thank goodness!

The British teenager who was convicted of lying about being gang raped by 12 Israeli men in Cyprus will be pardoned and be allowed to return to Britain if she is jailed tomorrow.

President Nicos Anastasiades will not let her go to prison and she will be handed back her passport and given free passage to the UK because of the furore over her case, according to the island's Phileleftheros daily newspaper.

 

[Thistles]

What a horrendous ordeal this young woman has been put through, not just the crime, but the treatment in prison and by the press afterwards. Why is Cyprus protecting these men? Why on earth would any young woman want to travel to that country, knowing the lack of safeguarding.

 

[Meringue22]

Her statement was studied by an expert....I forget their expertise, sorry!....but they said it wasn’t written by someone where English is their first language. Speak volumes

 

[elloelloello]

I believe her. I just don't believe a young girl would willingly have sex with 12 foreign strangers.

Her name has been leaked on twitter.

How are we certain the girl in these 'leaked videos' is her? How is it proven that it was the occasion in question? (genuine questions by the way.... I haven't seen these videos only heard about them so wondering how foolproof they are?)

I know I shouldn't assume to be fair, that was wrong of me. But the videos show the room in the pictures on the media with a blonde girl, all israeli men/boys, and her very willingly sleeping with a number of them and engaging in conversation during with them all. It's not a nice video.

But no I cannot confirm the legitamacy of these videos but they are circulating. Regardless of if she was or wasn't, whatever happened in that room it's still traumatic especially if the videos are real (I think they are) it's still horrible for her.

I believe she will be okay and allowed to fly back to England.

 

[Its_Me]

I wasn’t aware - did you catch it and if so was it a harrowing watch?

Yes it was difficult to watch and it quite upset me especially after reading here that people didn’t believe her.
She spoke about the videos and as you say @Bitofthebubbly whatever she consented to in the first instance and whether people agree with her choices or not does in no way justify what it ended up being which was gang rape. Horrific. I just feel so sorry for everything she went through.

It was on ITV

 

[elloelloello]

I can't even imagine what she's going through.

 

[Gellymaccy]

This is terrible something needs to be done.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I’m conflicted about this case because there is a lot of conflicting information out there if you don’t just read what some of the UK papers are saying.
This is one of those cases I think we will never know the truth about.
Yes, she could have been raped as up to 4 different mens DNA was found on her but she could also have lied as the DNA could have been touch transferred.
Also it did not help that she lied to start with.

 

[Youtubegossip]

A work colleague has been sent the videos in one of his WhatsApp groups today. I haven’t seen it. But by going on what he’s said, there appears to be one of her having sex with 3 men, and it appears to be consensual. His opinion (and obvs it’s just that, an opinion!) is that the lads probably then brought more mates in, and that’s where it’s got out of hand and was no longer consensual. Only speculation obviously

It’s on twitter too. The videos are of a girl having consensual sex with three of them.... however the room looks different to me in each one and also doesn’t mean she consented to the other 8

 

[elloelloello]

Ok I'm going to be controversial here. I've seen the videos today, they have been leaked. My opionion on the situation has completely changed now and I believe she is a liar. Cannot believe the 180 I've done, but from what I have seen she was definitely not raped.

Sorry if this offends anyone.

 

[Its_Me]

It didn’t take an expert to read that statement and know it was written by someone foreign I could have told them that much.

 

[Lars Guinard]

I think the opinion in some Israeli media is turning. Israeli journalists have interviewed the girl and believe her. One of the boys was interviewed on television in Israel and people have been disgusted by his attitude.
I think the HO definitely need to step in. It is so saddening that the poor girl not only had to go through a sickening ordeal but continues to suffer in a foreign country.

 

[elloelloello]

Where are these videos? Not sure I want to see to be honest but Twitter seems to think they are fake.

Someone sent me them on Whatsapp, I wish I could unsee it

 

[Its_Me]

True, but it still passed for true in the Cypriot court meaning even in the UK the first many people heard of this case “a girl was found guilty of lieing about gang rape.” People hear ‘found guilty’ in a short bulletin with no time for context and confuse it for ‘true’.

Plus having an expert in the field attached to her cause is simply helpful . This whole story is so tragic partly because she seemed so alone out there..for.a 19 year old girl, being gang raped, bullied by the police and spending a month in a Cypriot prison... it’s unimaginable(plus wasn’t she stuck in the country for months?).
And the fact the expert is a man, I hate to say will provide more credibility to a certain type of person. The type that buy into the misogynistic fallacy that stupid little girls lie about rape for attention. Plenty of those in the Cypriot justice system I'm willing to bet.
And she will need all the support she can get if she is to find justice.

(These are all just thoughts on the situation rather than a direct reply to your post @Its_Me ... I’m sure we’re on similar pages )

Yes 100%
And what makes it even worse is this will more likely than not happen again; Woman gets sexually assaulted in some way and is afraid to report it because they have heard about what happens to girls who come forward. Horrible.

 

[Prodcon21]

A work colleague has been sent the videos in one of his WhatsApp groups today. I haven’t seen it. But by going on what he’s said, there appears to be one of her having sex with 3 men, and it appears to be consensual. His opinion (and obvs it’s just that, an opinion!) is that the lads probably then brought more mates in, and that’s where it’s got out of hand and was no longer consensual. Only speculation obviously

 

[AmberSpyglass]

Is there a petition to sign to force ministers to look into the case , any chance there are behind the scenes negotiations going on that we’re not privy to?

 

[Its_Me]

Anyone watching the programme about this tonight?

 

[ScrambledEggs]

I'm not shocked by the treatment this poor girl has received, The Cypriot government do not want to damage tourism.

I really do hope she's allow back home to begin her treatment/ counselling.