Seven young Israeli tourists, arrested on suspicion of raping a 19-year-old British woman in Cyprus, have been freed and returned to Israel after the complainant withdrew her allegation, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed on Monday.

The woman told the Police on Saturday that the sex was consensual, the Cyprus Times reported.

While they were released on Sunday, the British woman had now been arrested and appeared in court on Monday.

A group of 12 Israeli tourists were initially arrested in connection with the incident on July 17, in the tourist resort of Ayia Napa.

Five of them had already been freed before the weekend.

The woman told police she accused them because she was angered after discovering that she was being filmed.

Cellphone data and other elements of the police investigation had also uncovered discrepancies in her initial story.

Videos of the teenagers, reportedly ranging in age from 15 to 18, returning to Israel on Sunday showed their friends and family jubilantly welcoming them home.

One of the youths connected to the incident told Israeli media: “I walk in the street and they shout rapist at me.’’

Asked about the accusation that they filmed the woman having sex with them without her consent, he admitted that “it was not appropriate.’’

NAN