Charges Dropped: Controversial Cyprus Rape Case Dismissed

A Cyprus court has dropped all charges against five Israelis accused of gang-raping a British woman, citing her testimony as unreliable with significant contradictions. The court highlighted inconsistencies in her statements, especially regarding suspect identification, and noted the influence of alcohol and drugs on her during the incident.

A Cyprus criminal court has dismissed all charges against five Israeli men accused of raping a British woman, citing her testimony as unreliable and fraught with major inconsistencies, according to a report by the Cyprus News Agency issued Monday. The court found that discrepancies mainly revolved around her identification of the perpetrators.

In closed-door proceedings, the court emphasized weaknesses in her initial statement following the September incident. Investigators' doubts grew as the woman failed to provide comprehensible explanations for her contradictions, despite testifying she was only slightly dizzy from alcohol and drug consumption, which the court found insufficient to impair her consent.

The five men, aged 19 and 20, pleaded not guilty, and the ruling follows the European Court of Human Rights' criticism of Cyprus for inadequate investigation into similar claims by a teenager in 2019. The British woman alleged the assault occurred at a hotel party in Ayia Napa but was unable to substantiate her claims conclusively.

(With inputs from agencies.)