British teen in rape trial gets suspended jail term in Greek Cyprus

A British teenager accused of faking a gang rape allegation was given a suspended sentence by a court in Greek Cyprus on Jan. 7 in a case which has prompted a rare rebuke from Britain and protests from activists who say she did not get a fair trial.
The 19-year-old has said she was coerced into withdrawing her complaint that she was raped in July 2019 by a group of Israeli youths in Ayia Napa, a holiday resort popular with teenagers.
She was convicted on Dec. 30 of public mischief, which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, a fine, or both, after the court found she had filed a fake report about being sexually assaulted.
Dressed in black and standing silently before the judge in a packed courtroom the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was sentenced on Jan. 7 to four months in jail, suspended for three years.
Raising his voice over chants from outside the courtroom in support of the woman, Judge Michalis Papathanasiou said he took into account her age, clean criminal record and remorse, and said he was giving her a "second chance".
"All mitigating factors were taken into account but it does not negate the seriousness of the offence," Papathanasiou said, noting that 12 individuals had been briefly detained on the basis of her accusation.
Outside, a group of about 150 women demonstrated, shouting "blaming the victim is the second rape" and "Cyprus justice shame on you". They included almost 60 activists from Israel who had flown in specifically to support the woman.
Police ordered window blinds in the courtroom to be pulled down to block the sight of protesters who crowded onto a ledge shouting slogans.
"We are here to raise social awareness of rape. There is no justice here," said Israeli activist Dana Salmon...