Annette Mangan and her family awaited her release from Nicosia Central Prisons throughout yesterday, but she remained another night in her cell, shared with four other women. Mangan's lawyer, Ms Eleni Christodoulou, said she could be freed "today, tomorrow or the day after".
On Tuesday, the Cyprus Attorney General, Mr Alecos Markides, signed a formal recommendation that the Dublin woman should be pardoned after serving nearly a month of a four-month sentence for making a false claim of rape. The recommendation was transmitted to the President, Mr Glafkos Clerides, yesterday.
The decision to seek a presidential pardon rather than clemency and a reduction of sentence would seem to reflect general public concern that too harsh a sentence had been imposed on Mangan (22), following her conviction on August 8th.
Half a dozen other cases of false accusations by foreign tourists, including one of rape, have been settled through the imposition of modest fines. Mangan's cause was helped by the fact that she had no insurance. A government source said that a pardon was "justified in the circumstances".
Mr Albert Mangan, her father, told The Irish Times that he believed that a positive response to her appeal may have been encouraged by the prison governor who "personally wrote to the attorney general to recommend Annette's release".
Mr Mangan takes a pragmatic attitude to the affair and the month of difficulties faced by his family. "What's done is done. What is left is damage limitation. All we want now is for Annette to be released as soon as possible."
Mr Mangan, his son Graham and daughter Avril, go the prison every day where they are permitted visits of two and three hours with Mangan. Yesterday morning Mr Graham Mangan and Ms Avril Mangan made a detour to the British High Commission to sign the book of condolences for Diana, Princess of Wales.
Last night the family had no idea of when or how the release would come and what would happen thereafter. In expectation, however, they made arrangements for flights off the island.
