Cyprus court finds British woman, 19, guilty of lying about being raped by Israeli tourists

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(JTA) — A Cyprus court found a 19-year-old British woman guilty of lying about being raped by several Israeli tourists.

The judge in Paralimni called the woman an “unreliable witness” and said she lied about the attack in revenge for being filmed by some of the Israeli youths during sex.

Found guilty of fraud and filing a false complaint on Monday, the woman faces a sentence of a year in prison and a fine of 1,000 euros, or nearly $1,200. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7. Her lawyers have asked for a suspended sentence, the BBC reported. They have said they will appeal the decision to the Cyprus Supreme Court.

Twelve Israeli teens were arrested for the alleged rape at the Ayia Napa resort. Three of the teens admitted to having consensual sex with the woman, while the other nine denied having any physical contact with her, though may have been in the hotel room when the videos were taken.

The woman later confessed that she said she was raped in revenge for being filmed, but soon after accused police of forcing her to sign a false confession. She told the judge that she was denied access to an attorney at the time of the confession.

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