5 Israelis accused of gang-raping British lady, 20, are hugged by their kinfolk after crying within the dock as their trial begins in Cyprus

5 Israeli males who had been charged with gang raping a British holidaymaker in September have now gone on trial in Cyprus.

The group, all aged between 19 and 20 years outdated from the Israeli Arab city of Majd al-Krum, had been arrested after the lady complained to police that she had been focused following a pool celebration at her three-star lodge within the vacationer resort of Ayia Napa on September 3.

Officers rapidly rounded up the lads who had been on vacation within the celebration resort and so they had been subsequently charged with rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity by violence, rape by compelling sexual penetration, indecent assault towards a girl, sexual harassment, and abduction.

The 5 appeared within the metropolis of Famagusta on Thursday in a courtroom filled with their kinfolk who confirmed as much as plead their innocence and present assist.

All 5 defendants, who deny the costs, remained straight-faced throughout proceedings however couldn’t include their emotion because the listening to concluded.

The households surged to embrace the defendants earlier than they had been taken away to return to their cells, with one of many males on trial bursting into tears as he hugged his mom. 

The case bears harrowing similarities to an incident in 2019 by which one other feminine British holidaymaker claimed she was gang-raped by a bunch of Israeli males. 

Ladies’s rights activists deploy a banner in entrance of Famagusta district court docket in Paralimni, the place 5 Israeli vacationers will stand trial for allegedly gang-raping a younger British lady in a well-liked Cypriot vacation resort a month earlier, on October 5, 2023

Cypriot police automobiles transport Israeli vacationers to the Famagusta district court docket in Paralimni, to face trial for allegedly gang-raping a younger British lady in a well-liked Cypriot vacation resort a month earlier, on October 5, 2023

The Cypriot and European flags fly in entrance of Famagusta district court docket in Paralimni, the place 5 Israeli vacationers will stand trial for allegedly gang-raping a younger British lady in a well-liked Cypriot vacation resort a month earlier, on October 5, 2023

In keeping with a leaked report, the alleged victim had bruises and injuries consistent with an attack and a press release from her was learn out by the prosecutor which went into the horrific assault, and which is just too graphic to publish.

At pre-trial hearings, the court docket additionally heard a number of employees had witnessed the aftermath of the alleged assault and would testify – together with how they noticed the sufferer fleeing by climbing from a window on the second flooring of the Fedrania Gardens lodge.

A forensic search of the room the place the assault occurred discovered traces of blood on the ground and on sheets on the mattress.

The girl informed police she had been taken by power to the lodge room after one of many males began flirting together with her after which after he attacked her the others joined in.

The alleged sufferer’s lawyer, Michael Polak from marketing campaign Group Justice Overseas, informed MailOnline: ‘We’re happy that the case is shifting forward and look ahead to a simply decision.’

However Nir Yaslovitzh, who’s representing two of the accused stated: ‘A perusal of the investigation materials reveals that the investigation materials collected by the police is filled with holes like Swiss cheese.

‘I’m assured that just like the earlier case in Ayia Napa of the rape that by no means occurred, so it is going to be confirmed within the current case that my shoppers are harmless of any crime.’

On the listening to Thursday morning, the defendants’ attorneys stated they nonetheless had not seen key proof, together with a DNA report which one lawyer claimed would exonerate his two shoppers. 

The DNA report is predicted to reach on the court docket later in the present day in response to the state prosecutor.

Former Cyrpiot MP Skevi Koukouma attended the listening to with just a few volunteers from the ladies’s group affiliation referred to as Pogo, declaring they wished to ship a message that ‘victims ought to really feel they’ll converse out and will be believed. 

‘They don’t seem to be alone,’ the group stated. 

The group, all aged between 19 and 20, had been held after the lady complained to police that she had been focused following a pool celebration in Ayia Napa earlier this month (file picture)

A relative of one of many 5 Israelis covers her face with a bag as she leaves the Famagusta District Courthouse in Paralimni, Cyprus

Earlier this month, the lady who suffered the sexual assault in 2019 completely informed MailOnline: ‘We ship our heartfelt assist to the younger lady on the centre of those reviews.

‘We hope that the Cypriot authorities do not add the insult to damage of victim-blaming that result in pre-trial imprisonment and the wrongful prosecution that was efficiently appealed at nice emotional and monetary price.

‘This was achieved with assist from UK media, politicians and with funds raised by GoFundMe and from particular person donors for which we stay particularly grateful.’

The now 22-year-old had gone from sufferer to accused after police dismissed her claims and stated she had made them up and she or he was ultimately given a 16-week suspended sentence in January 2020 before the verdict was overturned by the Cyprus Supreme Court.

The 5 defendants will now be held in custody till the subsequent listening to which is because of happen on October 16.