British teen sentenced for lying about rape in Cyprus to appeal conviction

The woman seen covering her face while entering court.
The woman seen covering her face while entering court. Photo credit: Reuters

A British woman found guilty of lying about being raped in Cyprus has been given a four-month suspended sentence.

The 19-year-old, who was not identified, was convicted of public mischief in December after recanting a claim she had been raped in a hotel room by 12 Israeli men in July last year, reports BBC News.

She later said police in Cyprus had forced her to say she had lied about the incident - something police deny - and her lawyers say they plan on appealing the conviction.

In handing down the sentence, the judge said he was giving the teen a "second chance" due to her age and psychological state.

Her sentence was suspended for three years and she was also ordered to pay €148 (NZ$248) in legal fees.

Outside court, the woman's mother told a group of women who had come to support her that "she's coming home", reports the BBC.

Her mother said she felt "relieved" following the judgment, though her lawyer Lewis Power QC told the BBC the case was "not finished by any means".

"We do not feel we have had justice in terms of how the trial progressed, the manner in which it was conducted, the initial police investigation and the fact that we feel she did not receive a fair trial," Power said.

After her conviction in December, a lawyer for Justice Abroad, an organisation assisting the woman, told the BBC "there were a number of bases for appealing the decision", including the fact the court relied on a retraction statement that was given when no lawyer or translator was present. Such a thing was a breach of European human rights law, he said.

Lawyers said they plan to take the case the Supreme Court of Cyprus and possibly even the European Court of Human Rights.