British woman accused of lying that she was raped in Cyprus describes the alleged attack in court

A British woman who claimed she was gang raped by 12 men has for the first time described the attack in harrowing detail to a court in Cyprus.

The 19-year-old fought back tears today as she told how she was held down while being sexually assaulted and left so scared that she fainted twice.

‘I have never been so scared in my life,’ the alleged victim said.

‘I was screaming and shouting and hysterical. I was so scared that I passed out twice.’

The alleged victim, pictured again walking with her mother today, claims that a group of 12 Israeli men assaulted her at a budget hotel in Cyprus. Cypriot authorities have charged the woman with one count of public mischief, calling her an unreliable witness 

The alleged victim is on trial at a court in Famagusta accused of lying about the gang rape by a group of Israeli men last July.

She has been branded an ‘unreliable witness’ by the judge trying the case and has chosen to give evidence to prove she was not lying.

Lawyers for the alleged victim have said she was bullied by police into withdrawing her rape allegation.

The prosecutor in the case, Adamos Demosthenous, pictured today, claims the woman knowingly and willingly signed a retraction statement 10 days after the alleged attack. She says it was written under duress 

She is accused of a single charge of public mischief which carries a custodial sentence of a year in prison.

Dressed in a green sweater, black trousers and black ankle boots the teen arrived at court with her mother and legal team.

She told how she had struck up a friendship with a 21-year-old Israeli holidaymaker identified only as Sam.

Speaking in a clear voice she said she went back to his room at a budget hotel in the early hours of July 17 where she said they had consensual sex.

The teen said his friends burst into the room and she shouted out ‘No’.

‘I said I am not doing that and told them all to go, ‘ she said.

She continued: ‘They left for a few seconds and Sam told me to lie on the bed and he got on his knees and put them on my shoulders.

They were all shouting in Hebrew and his friends came in. I could not breathe and he was throwing my head around. His friends were coming in.

‘They were all shouting and jeering. I tried to cross my legs and throw my arms around.

‘I don’t know how many of them raped me. There was a lot of commotion and arguing.’ 

The woman said when Sam reached to grab a condom he released the pressure on her shoulders and she was able to wriggle free.

‘I got away and put my shorts back on. There was a lot of shouting. I ran away and they were all running around me.’

The woman said she ran downstairs from the hotel bedroom and two of the alleged attackers tried to block her way but ran off when confronted by a male friend of hers.

She said Sam approached her and apologised and tried to hug her.

One of the Israeli tourists arrive to appear before court on July 26. The Israeli men were arrested on suspicion of rape, but the woman is now accused of inventing the claim 

Some of the Israeli men who were initially accused of rape are seen arriving in court on July 25

‘I was still screaming and shouting. I was in hysterics. I have never been so scared in all my life.’

The woman said she was taken to a medical centre in the hotel complex but she was in such a state of shock she could barely stand up.

‘I fell over the toilet and because the doctors could not examine me he called the police.’

She said when the police arrived she was so terrified that she had locked herself in the toilet .

‘As I walked out I was so fearful that I passed out twice.’