The family of the 19-year-old British woman accused of falsely accusing a group of 12 Israel teens of raping her, began a fundraising campaign for £15,000 ($18,188) to pay her legal fees. The campaign comes after the resignation of the woman's lawyer in Cyprus.
The GoFundMe page, entitled "Help teen victim get justice in Cyprus," states: "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 woman is currently being held on remand at a detention center in Nicosia until her trial, which has been postponed until August 19, and is seeking a new lawyer. Her previous Cypriot lawyer quit, saying he had a "serious disagreement" with his client about the best way to present her defense.
She has been charged with public mischief, which can lead up to a one-year prison sentence.