The ECHR added: “In conclusion, the court observes that the present case reveals certain biases concerning women in Cyprus which impeded the effective protection of the applicant’s rights as a victim of gender-based violence and which, if not reversed, run the risk of creating a background of impunity, discouraging victims’ trust in the criminal justice system, despite the existence of a satisfactory legislative framework.
In a judgment published on Thursday, the court said: “The court has found that the Cypriot authorities failed in their obligation to effectively investigate the applicant’s complaint of rape and to adopt a victim‑sensitive approach when doing so.
“Having regard to the numerous shortcomings identified above, the court concludes, without expressing an opinion on the suspects’ guilt, that the investigative and prosecutorial authorities’ response to the applicant’s allegations of rape in the present case fell short of the state’s positive obligation to apply the relevant criminal provisions in practice through effective investigation and prosecution.”.
“Following our victory in X v Greece, where the court found that Greek authorities had failed to uphold the rights of a rape victim, this case further strengthens the procedural protections for victims of sexual violence in Europe.
Now, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found that Cypriot authorities “failed” to properly investigate the woman’s claims.
