A view of the Ayia Napa beach. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

A court in Cyprus on Thursday remanded 12 Israeli youths in custody on suspicion of an alleged rape of a 19-year-old British tourist at a holiday resort on the island.

The youths, aged between 16 and 18, are alleged to have raped the woman in a hotel room in Ayia Napa, a resort on the southeastern coast popular with holidaymakers.

The woman told police the incident happened on Wednesday morning in her hotel room. Medical examiners said they found bruises and scratches on the woman.

The suspects and the alleged victim had been holidaying in Ayia Napa, which is known for its all-night party lifestyle.

The suspects, who have not been charged, were taken before a district court in the nearby town of Paralimni on Thursday where a local magistrate remanded them in custody for eight days, pending completion of inquiries.

In accordance with Cypriot law on rape cases and because some of the suspects are legally minors, proceedings were conducted behind closed doors.

The suspects covered their faces with their T-shirts as they were being escorted in and out of the court building. One was in tears, according to SigmaLive, a Cypriot news portal.