Remands after British tourist reports gang rape in Ayia Napa (updated)

A 20-year-old British tourist reported she was ganged raped at her Ayia Napa hotel in Cyprus, it emerged on Monday.

Five Israeli nationals were arrested and remanded for eight days at Famagusta district court. Two are aged 20 and three are aged 19.

The woman reported the rape on Sunday and the five were later arrested. Investigations continue.

The case recalls a 2019 case when a 19-year-old British tourist reported a gang rape in Ayia Napa.

Twelve Israelis were initially arrested but were released and the victim became the suspect, after she was charged with public mischief and found guilty of lying.

Police handling of the case came under scrutiny as she later said she retracted her statement after she was grilled at a police station for eight hours. She claimed she was pressured into confessing she had lied as police refused her the right to a lawyer and translator.

Judge Michalis Papathanasiou found her guilty at the Famagusta district court in January 2020 and handed down a four-month jail term, suspended for three years.

She returned to the UK shortly after sentencing and vowed to clear her name.

The Supreme Court ultimately overturned the conviction amid widespread condemnation of how authorities handled the case.