British woman who falsely accused Israeli teens of rape is sentenced in Cyprus
British woman who falsely accused Israeli teens of rape is sentenced in CyprusREUTERS

A British woman convicted by a court in Cyprus of falsely accusing a group of Israeli tourists of gang-rape has been given a four-month suspended sentence and a fine Tuesday.

Judge Michalis Papathanasiou cited the 19-year-old woman’s youth and her dependency on anti-depressants in allowing her to avoid jail time with the suspended sentence.

“I have decided to give her a second chance,” Judge Papathanasiou said.

The woman, whose name cannot be published, will have a four-month suspended sentence for the next three years, but will be allowed to return home to the UK.

The court also imposed a 140-Euro ($156) fine.

After being convicted on December 30th of public mischief for filing a false police report last July, the woman faced up to one year in prison and a fine of as much as 1,700 euros ($1,900).

While staying in Ayia Napa in mid-July last year, the woman claimed she met and befriended an Israeli tourist. The two engaged in consensual intercourse, she claimed, but said she the encounter ceased to be consensual when the Israeli tourist’s friends became involved.

The defendant filed a police complaint accusing 12 Israeli tourists, of gang-raping her, leading to their arrests.

After five of the 12 were conclusively found to not have been present at the time of the alleged incident, however, authorities released them and allowed them to return to Israel.

The defendant later admitted to investigators that she had fabricated the rape claims, saying that she had done so out of anger towards the Israeli tourists.

Police then arrested the young woman, and charged her with public mischief.

The woman later recanted her confession, claiming it had been made under duress.