The British girl at the centre of the Cyprus gang rape case was ‘tricked’ into handing over her passport within hours of reporting the attack leaving her stranded on the island, it has been claimed.
The 19-year-old is tomorrow facing up to a year in prison after she was convicted of making up claims that she was attacked by 12 Israeli youths in Ayia Napa in July.
Yesterday Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had reached out to the teenager’s mother about his ‘serious concerns’ and had urged Cyprus ‘to do the right thing’ ahead of her sentencing tomorrow.
The British girl (pictured) at the centre of the Cyprus gang rape case was ‘tricked’ into handing over her passport within hours of reporting the attack leaving her stranded on the island, it has been claimed
He spoke out as a friend – who was with her on the night of the alleged assault – revealed that police threatened to drop the investigation into her case if she did not stay on the island.
The girl – then just 18 – had agreed to stay and handed over her passport in the hope of bringing her attackers to justice.
‘She desperately wanted to go home but she knew the boys would go free. She didn’t want them to do it again to anyone else so she felt like she had to stay – to help other women,’ her friend said.
Some of the Israeli men who were initially accused of rape are seen arriving in court on July 25
‘She could have quite easily have said no, especially after what she had been through. But was brave.’
‘I feel like they tricked her into staying. They had tried to get my passport too but luckily I didn’t have it on me,’ she added.
‘I regret handing hers over but we trusted them and thought it was just routine.’
She said they tried to get her passport back to check into another hotel but the investigating officer DS Marius Christou claimed he did not know where it was.
The confiscation meant she had to stay in the same hotel where she said she was attacked until she was able to convince another hotel to let her check in without a passport.
‘It was difficult because she had to tell the receptionist what had happened, it was not what she wanted to do but there was no other way,’ her 22-year-friend said.
The girl – who was entitled to anonymity as an alleged victim of sexually assault – was left terrified after realising her name had been leaked to the Israeli press.
‘One came up to us at the hotel and just said her name… it was within days of the attack. We couldn’t work out how they could have known,’ the friend added.
The teenager – who had been on a working holiday – was said to have been told by the police she could go home in a week which then became 10 days.
But on the 10th day DS Marius Christou and DS Andreas Nikolettis hauled her into a police station where she was interrogated for almost eight hours without a lawyer.
The bedroom where the teenager claimed the attack had taken place
The girls says she was threatened by Detective Christou who said he would arrest her friends until she agreed to sign a retraction statement in the early hours.
He claimed in court it took so long only because the girl wanted to think about what she wrote in the confession which is just three paragraphs long.
The retraction – which experts say was composed by a non-native English speaker – has been the crux of the five month long case which saw the girl convicted of public mischief last week.
The last time the girls saw the passport it was in DS Christou’s hands in the morning after the attack.
The room of the Ayia Napa hotel room where the teenager claimed she had been attacked
He was said to have confirmed it was hers and then disappeared with it.
She is now facing up to a year in jail and a £1,500 despite already serving 4 weeks on remand and five months stranded on the island.
Yesterday Dominic Raab revealed that he had spoken to the woman’s mother as well as his counterpart in Cyprus.
He said: ‘It is a terrible case. My feelings and concerns are for the welfare of that young lady and to make sure that we can see her come home safe and sound to the UK and be able to recover.
‘I have conveyed our concerns about her treatment and the case to my Cypriot opposite number and I did that on Friday.
‘I have also spoke to the young lady’s mother to see what more support we can provide to her.’
Pictured: A diagram illustrating bruising found on the teenager
He also said he was reluctant to ‘aggravate the situation’ after the Cypriot side accused the UK of ‘meddling’ in its judicial system last week.
Raab added: ‘But the concerns that we have and that I have, have been squarely and firmly and categorically registered with the Cypriot authorities.’
He said: ‘Ultimately my first priority and the first priority of the family will be to see this young lady released, come home safe and sound to this country to allow her to recover so that’s what we’re doing.’
The case has sparked international outrage over the treatment of the woman and led to protests by women’s right activist.
It also led to a boycott of the island which heavily relies on tourism from the UK.
Sources last night suggested that the president planned to pardon the girl if she is jailed at Famagusta District Court on Tuesday.
However, it is believed the girl – who pleaded not guilty – will refuse to admit any guilt in order to clear her name and get justice.
A petition has been launched to have all charges dropped against the teenager dropped following her conviction
Her family have said they plan to take their fight for justice to European Courts of Justice which could take up to eight years.
A crowd funding page to help fund the appeal has raised more than £130,000.