Istanbul court bans man from using public transport in sexual assault case

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has banned a suspect standing charges of sexual assault on a public bus from using public transportation in a precedent decision.

he 29-year-old man was accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a bus on July 2 in Istanbul’s Samandıra district in the Sancaktepe district, daily Habertürk reported on Oct. 1.

The young woman initially did not press charges following the incident, but when she saw the man again on the same bus line one-and-a-half months later, she called the police, who detained the 29-year-old.

The man denied the sexual assault charges, saying the bus was very crowded on the day of the incident.

But, during the man’s interrogation, authorities determined that the man already had a history of standing trial in a similar sexual assault case, however the case had been dropped after the complainant withdrew her complaint.

The court released the man on judicial control, banned him from travelling abroad, and required him to give his signature four days a week at a police station. The court also ordered him to pay 10,000 Turkish Liras (around $1,664) and banned him from using any means of public transportation until the case is concluded, the newspaper said. If the suspect is at any point determined to be using such transportation means, he will be arrested.

“My boss picks me up [from my house]. I go to work with him and go back home similarly. I trust myself. I hope I will be freed from this,” the man was quoted as saying.