Lawyer for British woman who made false rape claim suggests she is a victim of a ‘more serious’ crime
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A lawyer for a 19-year-old British woman arrested for falsely claiming a dozen Israeli teens gang-raped her in Cyprus has suggested his client is a victim of a “more serious” crime.
Andreas Pittadjis, the unnamed woman’s lawyer, leveled criticism at a video posted online purportedly showing his client having sex with several young men at a popular resort earlier this month.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He called the leaked video "a much more serious criminal offense" than the public nuisance charge his client faces when speaking to reporters outside a Cypriot courthouse Tuesday.
Elite police unit officers escort a 19-year old British woman, center with head covered, to Famagusta court in Paralimni, Cyprus. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
''These 12 boys are being treated as heroes but the Internet is now flooded with images and texts of this young lady,” Pittadjis told The Sun.
The state-run Cyprus News Agency reported that the woman allegedly told investigators she filed a rape report because she was "angry and insulted" that a number of the Israelis allegedly recorded video of her having sex with some of them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The woman later voluntarily recanted her rape allegation, police said. The Israeli teens, initially arrested on July 18 following the woman's claim, had all been released from custody by Sunday.
An Israeli teenager is embraced by relatives after being released from Famagusta police headquarters in southeast town of Paralimni, Cyprus, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Meanwhile, a judge on Tuesday granted Pittadjis’ request for a one-week adjournment so that he and his client can review the evidence investigators have gathered.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pittadjis said his client will "most likely" enter a plea to the charge at her next court appearance on Aug. 7, but wouldn't say how she would plead. The charge carries a maximum sentence of a year in prison and a $1,890 fine.
His client has consented to remain in police detention until then, he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.