Istanbul prosecutor seeks up to 25 years of jail time for ‘abusive’ taxi driver

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul prosecutor on Nov. 22 demanded 12.5 to 25 years in jail for a taxi driver who was arrested last week on charges of sexually harassing and overcharging a Thai tourist.

The prosecutor has prepared the relevant indictment on accounts of “sexual assault” and “attempted qualified theft,” state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The indictment said taxi driver Birol Topal made the Thai tourist sit in front of the vehicle, told her that he wanted to be “friends” with her and touched her hand twice.

When the complainant was about to leave the vehicle at the end of the journey, Topal tried to overcharge her by asking her to pay more than what she would pay normally for the trip, the indictment also said.

The 32-year-old driver’s behaviors were also recorded on a video, taken by the Thai tourist.

Topal, who has been jailed since Nov. 12, will appear before the court in the upcoming days.