After 17 days in the Nicosia Central Prisons, Annette Mangan's spirits "have sunk very low, and are sinking lower every day", her sister, Ms Avril Mangan has said. "Last week she was grand because she expected quick results from the appeal" in a letter sent to the Attorney General's office last Friday.
But after consultation with her lawyer yesterday, Annette Mangan was "downcast because she heard she can only expect to have news of how the appeal is progressing at the end of the week", Ms Mangan said.
Mangan was sentenced to four months' imprisonment on August 8th for making a false claim of rape against another Irish tourist following a night of heavy drinking.
The lawyer yesterday met the Attorney General, Mr Alecos Markides, to discuss the appeal for clemency and reduction of sentence.
Her father, Mr Albert Mangan, of Castle Park, Tallaght, was angered to learn that three other cases involving fraudulent claims which came to court last week were settled by fines rather than imprisonment.
The first case concerned a Norwegian painter who claimed he had been robbed by "the Italian mafia" while driving on a back road in the Aya Napa tourist resort; the second case was a charge of rape by a British tourist and her partner against an employee in an Aya Napa hotel; the third case concerned another British couple who said they were robbed while at the beach in Aya Napa.
The Norwegian was fined £320, the British tourist £450 and the second couple paid a similar fine. In all three cases the accused admitted they had made the accusations so they could claim on insurance policies.
Some believe the sentences imposed in these cases should encourage the authorities to grant Mangan's appeal and release her soon.
"I just can't understand how the judge imposed fines rather than custodial sentences in cases involving premeditated fraud while the judge gave Annette four months in prison," Mr Mangan said.
All four cases of false claims were tried in the Famagusta district court. But unlike the others, Mangan appeared before a judge with a reputation for strictness who said he intended to make "an example of her" by imposing a stiff sentence.
"Annette has no insurance policy, she didn't even know you could get insurance for rape. She had nothing to gain by going to the police," Ms Avril Mangan stated.
According to Ms Mangan, the police convinced her sister to drop the rape charge and sign a statement saying she had made a false accusation. If she signed such a statement Mangan believed she would be fined and released.
The three Mangan family members will remain in Cyprus until Annette Mangan is freed. Mr Mangan said: "This whole business is going to cost us £5,000 to £6,000 with lawyers' fees, hotels and air fares. This seems very unfair considering those others got away with small fines for doing something much worse than Annette did."
PA adds: The British woman who made the false rape allegation said she was relieved at the fine. Suzanne Warburton (30), and her boyfriend Paul Shearsmith (26), who was fined the same amount, had been warned that they could expect jail sentences.
Judge Michalis Christodoulou told the couple, of Greater Manchester, that their fabricated claim was a serious offence.
The judge said there was a need for deterrent sentences in such cases, but added that he was taking into account their clean record and that their admission of lying to police had prevented an innocent man from being arrested. He fined them £400 each.
