A 31-year-old former municipal councillor and one-time Disy MP candidate pled not guilty to a rape charge at the Larnaca-Famagusta criminal court on Thursday.

Andreas Ttaouxis was given bail offered to the tune of €20,000 and released pending the next hearing of the case on October 6. In the meantime, he must present himself at the police station once a week.

The complainant, who back in April said she decided to report the rape to the police after she saw Ttaouxis was standing for an MP with Disy, wrote on social media that she spoke up in support of other women who are afraid to speak up. The crime allegedly took place on January 1, 2011.

The legal service gave the green light to the police to submit the case on May 7.

The 31-year-old had previously denied the charge on his social media, blaming it on political expediency but said he was forced to withdraw his candidacy as an MP.

Police said on Thursday they are investigating another 30 reports for sex related crimes, of which 17 were referred in court.

For three of the cases, including the one concerning famous sports shooter Andri Eleftheriou, not enough evidence was found to form a criminal case.

The most recent case concerns a female physiotherapist who said she was sexually harassed by a patient at her work early June, according to Cyprus Times.

Among the cases that have been referred to the court, is a 50-year-old riding instructor who faces three different sexual abuse allegations, including two made by minors. He is expected to appear in court on July 8.

In her statements to the Cyprus News Agency, officer Eleni Constantinou called on the public “to report anything that comes to their notice in connection with such serious cases”. She reiterated that all cases are investigated with confidentiality.