British woman wins court battle after Cyprus police failure to investigate alleged gang rape

A British woman who alleges she was gang raped in Ayia Napa has won a "monumental victory" over Cypriot authorities after the European court of human rights (ECHR) ruled they did not properly investigate the case.

- Helena Smith

The woman, who was 18 and on holiday at the time, told police in July 2019 that she had been raped in a hotel room by several Israeli males.

Ten days later the woman was questioned again, with only two short breaks over seven hours and no lawyer or welfare services present. She signed a retraction and was arrested for "committing public mischief".

The Strasbourg-based court, which referred to the Briton as "X" in its judgment, said: "The Cypriot authorities failed in their obligation to effectively investigate the applicant's complaint of rape and to adopt a victim-sensitive approach when doing so." It noted "numerous shortcomings" in the investigation and awarded the student €20,000 (£16,500) in damages.

"In conclusion, the court observed that the case revealed certain biases concerning women in Cyprus which impeded the effective protection of X's rights as a possible victim of gender-based violence," the judges said.