Lawyer of British teen in Cyprus false rape case quits

A lawyer representing a 19-year-old British woman who faces a public nuisance charge for falsely accusing 12 Israelis of rape has withdrawn from the case because of a "serious disagreement" with his client.

Paralimni court judge Tonia Antoniou on Wednesday approved lawyer Andreas Pittadjis' request to quit, and adjourned the case until Aug. 19 to give the woman time to find a new lawyer.

The judge ordered that the woman remain in police custody until her next court appearance.

Pittadjis' withdrawal from the case comes amid British media reports that the woman claimed she was forced by Cypriot investigators to retract her original rape report.

Cypriot police deny the allegation, insisting the woman voluntarily admitted in writing to falsely accusing the Israelis, who have since returned to Israel. [AP]