Four men, two women held in Cuba over rape claims

Four men, two women held in Cuba over rape claims
Lawyer for men says women willing participants in casual sex
LES PERREAUX

MONTREAL — From Saturday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Saturday, Aug.
01, 2009 04:19AM EDT

Police in Cuba have detained six Canadians, including four men from
Montreal and two women from Toronto, after a wild resort vacation ended
in allegations of rape.

The two women in their early 20s have accused the four men of assaulting
them while they were vacationing in the popular resort town of Varadero.

The men, identified by a defence lawyer as Hervé Kalongo Kalongo, Guems
Jean, Michel-Ange Pierrecin and Steven Michel, have been in jail since
their arrests on July 19.

All in their mid-20s, the men accuse the two women of inventing the
story to cover up wild vacation behaviour.

Three of the men hired Montreal lawyer John Pepper, who has collected
sworn statements from three fellow travellers saying the women were
willing participants in a wild week of partying and casual sexual
encounters.

Cuban police trying to sort out the mess detained the young women just
before they were to head home to Toronto.

"Often our clients tell us lies, but in this case I'm convinced these
boys are telling the truth," said Mr. Pepper.

Calls to the home of the young women's parents were not answered.

The sworn statements from three witnesses say the men and women were
part of a group of about 15 young adults who partied together all week.

Two of the men's friends gave the statements, but also Emmanuelle
Poirier, a Trois-Rivières, Que., woman who met all six people while on
the trip.

Mr. Pepper said he also has photos showing everyone, including the
women, engaging in "lascivious behaviour."

"I have photos of my clients in bed with the women, and the kind of
dancing you'd expect to see in a strip club."

Mr. Pepper admitted he is going public about the case to try to press
the women into dropping the issue.

He's also sent legal notice to the home of the women's parents warning
they will be sued.

He said he could not explain why the women would invent the story, other
than to point to their Muslim Egyptian origins and muse about how their
family would feel about the alleged wild week.

The men are being treated well in jail and have received assistance from
Canadian consular officials.

Four men, two women held in Cuba over rape claims - The Globe and Mail
(1 August 2009)
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