Five Israeli men accused of kidnapping and raping a British woman after a pool party in Aiya Napa are on trial in Cyprus.
The group, aged between 19 and 20, from the Israeli Arab city of Majd al-Krum, was brought before a three-member panel of judges in the district court of the city of Famagusta.
The men were arrested after the British woman, 20, told police they raped her in her hotel room in the tourist resort of Aiya Napa on September 3.
Officers quickly arrested the men holidaying at the party resort and were subsequently charged with rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual intercourse by force, rape by forcible sexual penetration, indecent assault on a woman, sexual harassment and kidnapping.
Now their trial has begun after entering not guilty pleas, with the alleged victim's lawyer telling MailOnline that the Brit is willing to testify in court 'to see justice done'.
The police van carrying the five Israelis accused of raping a British woman arrives at the Famagusta District Courthouse in Paralimni, Cyprus, for an earlier hearing in September.
Relatives of Israeli men detained over the alleged rape of a British woman stand outside the courthouse in Paralimni during an earlier hearing in October
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, could take the stand in January “because she wants to prevent this from happening to anyone else”, her lawyer Michael Pollak of London-based legal aid group Justice Abroad told MailOnline.
'The victim will most likely testify in January 2024 as she wants to prevent this from happening to anyone else. She is committed to ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Pollak said.
During the trial at the Famagusta court on Monday, Mr Pollak said the suspect's police interviews were read out to the court. The trial will last until Thursday.
The case bears searing similarities to a 2019 incident in which another female British holidaymaker claimed she was raped by a group of Israeli men.
According to a leaked report, the alleged victim had bruises and injuries consistent with an assault and a statement from her was read by the prosecutor who carried out the horrific attack, which is too graphic to publish.
During pre-trial hearings, the court also heard that several staff had witnessed the aftermath of the alleged attack and would testify – including how they saw the victim flee by climbing out of a second-floor window at the three-star Fedrania Gardens hotel.
A forensic examination of the room where the attack took place found traces of blood on the floor and on sheets on the bed.
The woman told police that one of the five men forcibly took her to his room after grabbing her hand while she was partying with friends around the pool on September 3.
She said the man tried to take off her bathing suit as she begged him to let her leave.
The other suspects then entered the room and one had intercourse with her against her will and another forced her to perform oral sex, while two others held her down on the bed, she said. She said a suspect also held her against a wall and raped her.
The group, all aged between 19 and 20, were detained after the woman complained to police that she had been targeted following a pool party in Ayia Napa in September (file image)
The Cypriot and European flags fly in front of the Famagusta court in Paralimni, where five Israeli tourists are on trial for the alleged gang rape of a British woman
The 20-year-old said she managed to lock herself in the bathroom and started screaming for help.
The Briton said she was able to flee the room by pushing the suspects aside and rejoined her friends, who went with her to report the incident to police, she said.
At an earlier hearing in October, the five Israeli men had entered not guilty pleas to rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual intercourse by force, rape by forcible sexual penetration, indecent assault against a woman, sexual harassment and kidnapping.
They had appeared in the Famagusta courtroom, which was packed with their relatives who showed up to plead their innocence and show support.
All five defendants had kept a straight face throughout the proceedings but could not contain their emotions as the hearing ended.
Families flocked to hug the defendants before they were led away to return to their cells, with one of the men on trial breaking down in tears as he hugged his mother.
The five suspects will now be held in custody while their trial continues.