CYPRUS: 12 Israeli tourists detained over alleged rape of British teenager

Twelve Israeli tourists were remanded in Cyprus police custody on Thursday as the authorities investigate claims by a British teenager she was gang raped at her hotel in the popular holiday resort of Ayia Napa.

The suspects appeared before a district court in Paralimni where the judge agreed to a police request to detain them in custody for eight days while investigators complete their inquiries into possible charges of rape and conspiracy to rape.

The suspects – who entered the court premises with their faces covered — have not been charged.

Thursday’s court hearing was conducted behind closed doors as at leat one of the 12 suspects is a minor aged under 18.

Relatives of the suspects also attended the court hearing

The suspects were arrested on Wednesday after a 19-year-old British tourist alleged that she was raped at a hotel in the party resort where she and the Israelis were staying.

The alleged rape happened just after midnight Tuesday in the same hotel where the woman and the 12 suspects were staying separately.

“The Israeli consul in Nicosia, Yossi Wurmbrand, is following developments and is in contact with the detainees. Their families have been updated,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ayia Napa is the island’s premier resort for younger tourists attracted by its party reputation and white sand beaches.

Britain is the island’s biggest tourist market with around 1.3 million visiting Cyprus every year while nearby Israel is also becoming a key source for visitors.