British woman, 19, accused of making false gang-rape claim in Ayia Napa launches crowdfunding bid to pay her £15,000 legal fees
- The family of the 19 year old have started a go fund me page to pay for legal team
- The woman is seeking a new lawyer while being held on remand in Nicosia
- Her previous lawyer quit the case earlier this week citing ‘serious disagreement’
A British woman accused of making a false gang rape allegation in Cyprus is attempting to raise £15,000 to pay her legal fees.
The family of the 19 year old have started a go fund me page to raise money to pay for her legal team to fight a charge of public mischief.
The woman – who Mail Online is choosing not to identify – is seeking a new lawyer while held on remand at a detention centre in Nicosia.
Her previous lawyer dramatically quit the case earlier this week citing a ‘serious disagreement’ with her family and his client.
The shock move came after a UK organisation called Justice Abroad claimed detectives had coerced her into withdrawing her rape allegation.
The family of the 19 year old (pictured being held by police on Wednesday) have started a go fund me page to raise money to pay for her legal team to fight a charge of public mischief
Human Rights lawyer Michael Polak said she was given a statement to sign after eight hours in a police station and without access to legal representation.
It led to seven Israeli men being allowed to return home with no charges.
The woman had claimed she was raped by up to 12 of the Israeli holidaymakers at a hotel in the resort of Ayia Napa.
Five of the suspects were released after DNA tests failed to link them to the alleged crime scene.
Mobile phone footage of the woman having sex was later leaked by one of the men to a porn web site.
Police in Cyprus have denied that the woman was mistreated and forced to withdraw her rape allegation.
The charge of public mischief carries a sentence of up to a year.
The go fund me page is being administered by lawyer John Hobbs and is entitled ‘Help teen victim get justice in Cyprus.’
Her previous lawyer Andreas Pittadjis (pictured) dramatically quit the case earlier this week citing a ‘serious disagreement’ with her family and his client
The go fund me page says: In the early hours of Sunday the 28th of July 2019, following a week of traumatic events, our daughter was arrested for allegedly making a false allegation of rape in Cyprus and is currently being detained in prison awaiting trial.
‘We maintain that the statement was given under duress and in breach of her rights, resulting in the collapse of the initial investigation and charges of public mischief being made against her.
‘She is alone in a prison abroad after an awful series of events, we just want to bring her home. ‘We are seeking funds to pay for the required legal representation in Cyprus.
‘The organisation Justice Abroad has already been providing assistance within the UK. They are bringing together an expert legal team, from both the UK and Cyprus, to challenge the many breaches of her rights and require funds to do so.’
A spokesman for Justice Abrod said: ‘The family intend to appoint an expert legal team to represent the teenager in regard to this matter and to bring to light the breach of her rights that she has endured.’
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