Six Israelis arrested in another suspected gang rape in Cyprus

Six Israeli citizens were arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of the rape of a British tourist, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, in yet another allegation of group sex crimes by Israelis against a British citizen in the island country.

The foreign ministry said that it was in touch with the families of the suspects. Ynet reported that one of the Israelis had been released.

Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported that the arrest for the other suspects was extended for eight days, and the woman and the men will be examined by medical professionals. The suspects are 19-20 years old. 

The news comes amid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s major diplomatic visit to Cyprus.

Gangrapes in Ayia Napa

Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel executive director Orit Sulitzeanu said that the news of the suspected incident is part of a series of cases of group sexual abuse, which often involves filming of the event.

“This case is a warning for Israeli society because this is not an isolated case, but rather a dangerous phenomenon of group sexual abuse is developing here as part of the culture of recreation abroad, as happened in 2019 in Ayia Napa, about a month ago in Rhodes and in 2019 in Crete,” said Sulitzeanu. “The education system in Israel has a critical role in educating the youth for healthy sexuality and preventing sexual harm, to discuss what constitutes consent and, of course, the issue of photographing and distributing videos, which constitute a criminal offense.”

A 19-year-old British woman alleged in 2019 that she had been gang-raped by around 12 Israeli teenagers in Ayia Napa. She filed a complaint with the Cypriot police, but later withdrew her statement and was charged for filing a false complaint. She asserted that she had been pressured into withdrawing her complaint.

The woman was sentenced to four months in prison in 2020, but the conviction was as overturned in 2022. No investigation was ever opened into the case, and that year announced she would be taking Cyprus to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.