Ayia Napa rape case teenager pleads for Boris Johnson to help get her home
She asks him to help her with action, not just words
Maddy MussenThe 19-year-old woman who plead guilty to falsely accusing 12 men of rape has pleaded for Boris Johnson to take action and help bring her home.
Speaking to The Sun, the woman addresses the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary (Dominic Raab) directly, saying: "Every second of this ordeal has been a waking nightmare. I’m 19 and all I want to do is clear my name and come home to my family. I would say to both the foreign secretary and prime minister, both of whom are fathers, please support me with your actions, not just with your words."
Yesterday her mother backed calls for tourists to boycott Ayia Napa, claiming that the island was "absolutely not safe". She also addressed the Foreign Secretary, saying she "would love" for Dominic Raab to get involved, and hopes for him to intervene to help expedite their case with the Cypriot Supreme Court.
She also called for action from the Prime Minister and Foreign Office, telling The Sun: "My daughter welcomes the Foreign Office’s support but so far the British government has offered words and not action.
"My daughter and I have seen how the Prime Minister was recently personally prepared to push the US President for action in the tragic case of Harry Dunn. She would like the Prime Minister and Mr Raab to now show the same commitment."
The Foreign Office have recently expressed interest in the case, which a spokesperson for the Office called "deeply distressing." The Foreign Office contacted the woman's family yesterday for the first time since she was convicted.
The 19-year-old woman was working in Ayia Napa last July when she was allegedly raped by 12 Israeli tourists in a hotel room. She later signed a retraction, which she has since claimed she was forced to sign without the assistance of a lawyer or translator. This lead to her being convicted of "public mischief" and being detained in Cyprus for four weeks. She also faces up to a year in prison for the crime.
A Go Fund Me has been set up in order to assist her family with legal fees, which has already raised over £120,000.
The Go Fund Me 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 organisation Justice Abroad has already been providing assistance within the UK. They are bringing together an expert legal team, from both the UK and Cyprus, to challenge the many breaches of her rights and require funds to do so."
If you wish to donate, you can do so here.
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