POLICE in Cyprus will seek a life sentence for the rapist who attacked a Blackburn holidaymaker after revealing they want him to spend the rest of his days in prison.

The move came as a local MP said she was furious as a woman and ashamed as a Cypriot over the incident in Ayia Napa which left the 22-year-old victim requiring surgery.

Androulla Vassiliou, deputy of the ruling United Democrat party met the victim's parents and offered to help them bring the full weight of the law down on person who carried out the attack.

But according to police prosecutors, the suspect already faces life in prison for the attack.

A police spokesman yesterday said that owing to the horrific injuries the young woman had sustained, the prosecution would appeal in order to have the maximum sentence -- life, meaning life --imposed on the suspect, should he be prosecuted. The politician visited the victim at Larnaca hospital last week and said she was appalled by the brutal way the tourist was attacked.

She said Cyprus should be ashamed that such a brutal attack happened on the island.

She added that when she heard about the girl's ordeal she was furious as a woman and ashamed as a Cypriot.

"After what happened, Cyprus must find a way to make amends," she said.

"Every woman should feel the same way. This incident has shamed Cyprus."

Miss Vassiliou said she visited the victim because she felt the tourist needed to speak to a woman about her ordeal.

"She was very hurt and she doesn't look like the type of girl that would just go off with the first person she sees," Vassiliou said.

"She was physically and mentally abused and it should take many years for her to forget about this nightmare."

Vassiliou said the 22-year-old told her what had happened but she was still visibly shaken.

"She said she was at a bar with her friend and that she lost her in the crowd," she said.

"She sat on a sidewalk to wait for her.

"Suddenly three men came and grabbed her and from that moment everything was blurred.

"She said she woke up in the back of a car being held down by her assailants.

"Everything after that happened so fast that she can't remember.

"At some point she started calling for help and some locals found her and called an ambulance," Vassiliou said.