A 19-year-old British woman who allegedly lied to police about being gang-raped by 12 Israeli teens has been remanded in custody after a court hearing.
The woman, who faces a public nuisance charge which could reportedly see her jailed for a year, covered her face as she appeared in court in Cyprus on Tuesday.
She was remanded in custody for eight days to allow more time for her and her lawyer to respond to the charge.
Lawyer Andreas Pittadjis said a judge granted his request for the adjournment until August 7 so that he and his client can review all the evidence that police investigators have amassed in the case.
Lawyers representing the Israelis, who range in age from 15 to 18, have said they plan to sue the young woman on behalf of those she accused.
She had alleged she was raped at a hotel in the popular resort town of Ayia Napa, where she and the Israelis were staying.
However, police officers said she later voluntarily recanted her rape allegation during questioning, while admitting there had been sexual contact with the suspects.
The Israelis’ defence lawyers had said the woman was also working at the hotel, and that she was in a relationship with one Israeli and had consensual sexual contact with several others over a period of several days.
The Cyprus News Agency reported that the woman allegedly told investigators she filed the rape report because she was “angry and insulted” that some of the Israelis allegedly recorded video of her having sex with a number of them.
On Sunday, police freed the remaining seven of 12 suspects who were initially arrested on July 17. Five Israelis had been released three days earlier after no evidence was found implicating them in the case.