Update 02 October 2019: British Teen Released on Bail and Faces October Trial in Cyprus After Reporting Group Rape
JUSTICE ABROAD
“Here When You Need Us”
First Day of Trial for British Teen in Cyprus After Reporting Group Rape
Justice Abroad is assisting the British teenager and her family in this matter. Today was the first day of the trial for the teenager who was represented by Justice Abroad’s legal team. At the hearing which took place at Famagusta District Court the teenager was represented by an expert legal team assembled by Justice Abroad comprising of Lewis Power QC, a top barrister from the English Bar of the senior rank of Queen’s Counsel, Cypriot lawyer Nicoletta Charalambidou, an experienced human rights advocate, and Ritsa Pekri, a criminal law expert.
At today’s hearing Officer Nicoletti was called to give evidence and he was cross-examined. Officer Nicoletti confirmed in evidence that he had watched video evidence in the case and confirmed that there was no evidence showing consensual sex with a group of youths responding, ‘I cannot see she had group sex.’ Officer Nicoletti also agreed that on day of rape there is a video which shows the accused with one person and other persons trying to enter a room where they were not welcome and being told to get out. He also confirmed that an Israeli witness gave a witness statement where he described being outside the hotel building and coming across 5 of the Israeli youths who his friend asked if they were coming to a nightclub but the youths responded that they were going to stay in as English girl was coming there later and they all intended to ‘fuck her’ and that the same witness articulated that this was said to him by these youths in a ‘bad and aggressive way’.
Justice Abroad’s Michael Polak has stated that ‘We are pleased by the way that the evidence came out today in Court and we remain hopeful that justice will with done for our client who has suffered a terrible crime in Cyprus and needs to get back to her life at home.’
The trial has been adjourned until 15-17 October 2019 and the family continues to raise funds for legal preparation and representation costs and the proper preparation for trial will include the instruction of experts and translators. The Go Fund Me page www.gofundme.com/f/Help-Teen-Victim-Get-Justice-In-Cyprus is being used to raise these funds and the family wishes to thank all those from the United Kingdom, Israel, and the rest of the world who have contributed to the fundraising campaign at what is a difficult and unexpected time for them and in what they consider to be a very important fight for the teenager’s rights and her future.
Notes to Editors
Justice Abroad, www.justiceabroad.co.uk has been set up to help those trying to find their way through foreign justice systems with all the associated hurdles that presents. To help such families with these dilemmas and many more, three experts, Michael Polak, a barrister with an international practice focussed on the assistance of foreign nationals in trouble around the world, David Swindle , a former Detective Superintendent who has worked on hundreds of murders and complex high profile investigations in the UK and abroad during his 34 years in the police, and David Walters MVO, a former British Diplomat with over thirty years’ experience having served in over a dozen countries around the world, have pooled their extensive experience. Justice Abroad is endeavouring to ensure that their client experiences a fair, transparent, and unbiased trial process in Cyprus.
Lewis Power QC is a barrister who was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1990 and achieved the senior rank of Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 2011. He has a strong reputation for fighting difficult cases at trial and advising and advocating in matters with international and cross-jurisdictional elements.
Nicoletta Charalambidou is human rights lawyer with an expertise on European Union law and with a particular interest in victims and suspects rights in criminal procedures and discrimination in the administration of justice. She is also a member to the Legal Experts Advisory Panel of Fair Trials.
Ritsa Pekri is a civil and criminal law lawyer working with Nicoletta Charalambidou LLC with strong experience in criminal cases and those matters involving human rights related issues.
Justice Abroad is also cooperating with KISA - Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism which is a national NGO active in the field of antidiscrimination and antiracism, including discrimination in the administration of justice and a human rights violations watchdog working in the field of victim and suspects rights under EU law.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10048327/ayia-napa-rape-lie-trial/
