Cyprus has 'full confidence' in courts following false rape conviction
The teenager had told the court she was pinned down and attacked by 12 Israeli youths in Ayia Napa.
Wednesday 1 January 2020 08:18, UK
Cyprus has said that it has "full confidence in the justice system and the courts" after the UK raised concerns about the case of the British teen who was found guilty of a false rape claim.
The Foreign Office has said it has raised concerns at an "official level" with the authorities in Cyprus, after previously saying it was "seriously concerned about the fair trial guarantees" involved in the case.
Lawyers and campaigners have also spoken out about the case and criticised the Cypriot justice system after Monday's conviction.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she was raped by a number of Israeli men in Ayia Napa on 17 July. But she was charged after she signed a retraction statement 10 days after the incident.
In court, she claimed Cypriot police put pressure on her to change her account of what happened.
All the men, aged between 15 and 20, who had been arrested at the time, were then freed.
She will appeal the ruling.
The teenager had been previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the doctor who made the diagnosis argued that the trial did not take that into consideration.
Dr Christine Tizzard told the Guardian newspaper: "The salient point is that she was diagnosed with PTSD. That's a stand-alone diagnosis. It's a valid diagnosis and it hasn't really been fully represented.
"Aside the fact it hasn't been fully represented, it means she's been unable to get the treatment she so sorely needs and every day she's not having treatment the worse it gets."
However, the Cyprus government has been defending itself, saying: "The Republic of Cyprus as an orderly state has constitutionally established institutions and separation of powers.
"In this context, the government does not intervene in cases brought before the competent courts of the Republic of Cyprus, nor does it comment on positions or allegations which are raised with respect to cases still pending before the courts.
"The government has full confidence in the justice system and the courts of the Republic of Cyprus, which should be left unfettered to implement state laws and deliver justice."
Lawyers for the teenager have signalled their intention to appeal against the court ruling in the Supreme Court of Cyprus, and if necessary, the European Court of Human Rights.
Her mother saying the verdict was "absolutely astonishing" adding her daughter was "effectively in a gilded cage" as she awaits sentencing.
The teenager said she was "dedicated to seeking true justice".
She told The Sun: "We expected this almost from the very start.
"One moment I was the victim, the next, I was the accused.
"Eight hours of interrogation, denied access to a lawyer - while those accused of raping me had legal representation immediately."