Brit denied fair trial due to judges rudeness

Lawyers for a British teenager are appealing her conviction for lying about an alleged gang rape in Cyprus.

 

The 19-year-old from Derbyshire was found guilty of public mischief in January, and given a four-month suspended sentence by judge Michalis Papathanasiou.

 

Her lawyers have now released their principal arguments for challenging the conviction in the Cyprus Supreme Court, arguing that she did not receive a fair trial because the judge acted with such "discourtesy" towards her.

 

The teenagers legal team, including Michael Polak from Justice Abroad, which helps Britons in legal trouble overseas, and Lewis Power, a London-based QC, said that "It will be submitted that the trial judge acted with discourtesy towards the teenager in such a way as to deny the teenager a fair trial." He cited a recent civil case in which an appeals court found the presiding judge had "developed an animus towards the claimant".

 

The basis of their appeal, due to be heard in Nicosia later this year, has been submitted in the form of a 154-page skeleton argument. They said the teenager had been questioned in a police station without a translator, family member. or lawyer present, for seven hours, after which she signed a statement retracting her original gang rape allegation.

 

Michalis Papathanasiou ruled that she had lied when she claimed she was raped repeatedly in a hotel room in the party town of Ayia Napa, by a group of Israeli tourists last July.

 

At the British woman's trial, her lawyers objected when the judge shouted at her, and complained of his brusque manner towards the distressed defendant. 

 

In his sentencing remarks, the judge ruled there had been "no rape at all" and that the testimony she gave was "false", and said the teenager had falsely incriminated 12 Israeli men, aged from 15-20, who were arrested after the alleged attack.

 

The 12 Israelis denied any wrongdoing and returned home after being freed from police custody.

 

The Johnson Partnership

Derby Crime Solicitors 

01332 370 473