Feb 27 (Reuters) - The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Cyprus did not fulfill its legal responsibility to thoroughly examine claims by a British woman who reported being gang-raped by Israeli tourists in 2019 during her stay on the island.

The woman, then 18 and referred to in legal documents as "X", alleged that she had been assaulted by a group of Israeli young men while vacationing in Ayia Napa in July 2019.

Following prolonged police questioning without access to legal counsel, she recanted her accusation — something she later claimed happened under coercive circumstances. Authorities then charged her with "causing public mischief", ultimately giving her a suspended prison sentence.

The ECHR found in favor of "X", concluding that Cyprus fell short of its duty to effectively investigate the rape case and to pursue potential prosecutions based on her report.

Once she retracted the accusation, the detained Israeli men were freed and allowed to return to their country without any additional charges. While some admitted engaging in consensual intercourse with "X", all of them denied any involvement in a rape.

In a significant decision in January 2022, the Supreme Court of Cyprus annulled her conviction, accepting that the retraction was made under duress. The move raised serious concerns about how authorities in Cyprus handle sexual assault claims.

Nonetheless, according to her legal team, the attorney-general of Cyprus chose not to launch a renewed investigation into the alleged assault, despite the court's ruling.