Cyprus judge Michalis Papathanasiou has been criticised for his handling of the case

The judge who convicted a British teenager of lying about being gang raped by 12 Israeli men in Cyprus has been accused of hating women after he previously threw out another rape case two years ago, despite 'strong evidence'.

Michaelis Papathanasiou will sentence the Brit, from Derbyshire, tomorrow, after ruling that she lied about being held down and gang raped by 12 Israeli men in Ayia Napa on July 17 last year.

His verdict triggered outrage with the girl's lawyer Lewis Power describing her conviction as 'one of the biggest miscarriages of justice' he has ever seen.

Now, it has been revealed that Papathanasiou previously cleared a man of attacking a woman, with anti-rape campaign groups in Cyprus claiming that he has a 'dislike of women'.

In that case, the judge told the woman, 52, that she had made up claims about being attacked by a man, 30, because she was jealous he had cheated on her.

According to the Sun, in his ruling two years ago, he said: 'I've listened to the woman very carefully. I can't rely on her testimony.

'The witness in my opinion did not tell the truth and I will say that her testimony shows contradictions, confusion but also general vague and unreasonable positions.'

A prosecution source involved in the case said: 'We were surprised the trial went against us as we felt the evidence was strong.'

Footballer Shimon Yusufov is pictured with the British teenager who accused him and 11 of his friends from Israel of gang raping her in a hotel in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on July 17 last year

The British teenager (pictured outside court in Cyprus on December 30) convicted of lying about being gang raped by 12 Israeli men in Cyprus will be pardoned and allowed to return to Britain immediately

The case has drawn parallels with that of the British teenager, who he ruled was lying about being attacked.

An expert witness who gave evidence at the Brit's trial slammed Papathanasiou, claiming he was 'aggressive' and 'shouting at the girl', 'excluding rape right from the start'.

Dr Marios Matsakis, 65, a forensic pathologist, also said the British teenager may have been drugged, claims he said were not properly investigated.

He added that the failure to properly examine evidence against the 12 Israelis made him 'ashamed as a Cypriot'.

Describing the judge, Dr Matsakis said 'my impression is he hates women'.

Protesters gather outside the Cypriot High Commission in London today for the 19 year old girl accused of making a false gang rape claim in Cyprus by 12 Israeli men

The statement is the crux of a case that has sparked a diplomatic incident, with the teenager dragged to court and convicted of lying

Her lawyer Mr Power, who will be with her when she is sentenced in Cyprus tomorrow, said if her case has been heard in the UK it is 'highly likely' she would have been cleared.

'This girl has been stripped of her dignity and human rights,' he said.

'Overnight she went from a victim to an accused and it is only the support of friends, family and the legal team that has helped sustain her this far.

'Having reviewed all the evidence if this was heard before a jury in the UK it is highly dubious whether she would have ever been convicted as it would not have met the test of beyond reasonable doubt.

'The defence will be maintaining that this is a gross miscarriage of justice.'

Relief: The men accused were whisked back to Israel, arriving at Ben Gurion airport to chants of 'the Brit is a whore'

He added: 'We have been concerned about how the whole investigation was conducted The time has come one may feel for the criminal process in Cyprus to undergo much needed reform.'

It is believed that she will be pardoned and allowed to return to Britain immediately - even if she is jailed tomorrow.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will reportedly not let the 19-year-old go to prison and she will be handed back her passport and given free passage to the UK because of the furore over her case.

Her mother says her daughter has PTSD, sleeps 20 hours a day and suffers hallucinations when she hears foreign male voices - and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab piled on more pressure by saying travel advice for British citizens going to Cyprus is now 'under review'.

The island's Phileleftheros daily newspaper reported today: 'Should the court move to order her to prison, the President has already decided that he will pardon the girl, immediately after the ruling'.

A Government source claimed the President would ensure her freedom after 'considering the girl's young age and the outcry which the case has generated both in and out of Cyprus' - and denied it was because of British pressure.

It came as protesters chanted 'boycott Cyprus' outside the Cypriot High Commission in London today in support of a British teenager convicted of lying about being gang-raped because of flaws in the case and a questionable confession secured by detectives.

It was also a revealed a footballer, 19, Shimon Yusufov, was the man who had consensual sex with the Brit but denied any involvement in a later group attack she claimed was carried out by his friends.