The 19-year-old who was convicted in Cyprus for a false report of rape expresses her joy for her return to Britain, in an interview with the Sun newspaper shortly before leaving Larnaca airport on Tuesday night.
Insisting that she is innocent and that she has been the victim of gang rape, the young British woman states: "My struggle continues".
According to the British media, the 19-year-old and her mother found a seat on a full British Airways flight to Heathrow yesterday as two passengers agreed to give up their seat for 550 euros.
The young woman, who has posed with her passport and suitcase for photos to the Sun without the newspaper revealing her face, says she was really afraid of a suspended prison sentence.
"When the interpreter said four months, I thought I was going to jail. Only when he said 'suspended' did I realize that I would indeed return home. I looked at my mom and we both had tears in our eyes. "I am so happy to be home," she said.
She expresses her gratitude to those who contributed to the fundraising for her court costs and to those who supported her.
"I am innocent and the fight will continue to clear my name," he added.
She also mentions, among other things, that the whole experience was a "nightmare" for her and her mother and that now she just wants to reunite with her friends and relatives, to enjoy the "cold weather" of England, to eat at her favorite restaurant and take her dog for a walk again.
Referring to the Cypriot judge who convicted her, the 19-year-old says that she felt that he was "very aggressive and vindictive" towards her.
"He was half-hearted towards me and my women's defense team. "As soon as they were allowed to ask questions, while the accuser had me on the bench for six hours," he added.