Ankara bus driver accused of rape has long criminal record: Report

ANKARA

An Ankara public bus driver who sexually assaulted a woman has a long criminal record and has reportedly been tried in a number of sexual abuse cases in the past. 

The driver, identified only as İbrahim T., is the subject of a total of 48 criminal cases regarding insults, threats, blackmailing and damaging property, and has been tried in three different sexual abuse cases, daily Hürriyet has reported. 

It emerged last week that İbrahim T. had sexually assaulted a woman, identified only as S., in a public bus in Ankara, after the victim applied to court.

“It can be seen that he has a long criminal record and has turned violating the law into a habit,” read the petition presented to the court by S.’s lawyer, Hüsniye Şimşek. Three sexual assault cases were opened against İbrahim T. in 2012, 2013 and 2015. 

The petition stressed that İbrahim T. had acted with the intention of killing and had a lengthy criminal record. 

In addition, Şimşek filed a complaint against the Ankara City Public Buses Chamber of Tradesmen head Kurtuluş Kara for claiming that İbrahim T. and S. were in a relationship. 

It has also emerged that the bus in which S. was raped was cleared of evidence and brought back into service. Kara had previously claimed that he saw İbrahim T. leaving the bus in the bus company parking lot. 

“The claim that [Kara] saw him leaving the bus clearly shows they were trying to remove evidence. Who removed the evidence and why did they do so?” Şimşek asked. 

An investigation has been launched into Kara over “deleting evidence,” “misleading the court authorities,” and “slander.”

The victim, meanwhile, has said she “wishes she was dead” in the aftermath of the rape.
 
“I wish I was dead. I can’t be happy that I’m alive because there are people who are still protecting him.

There are people who defend such savagery and rape. It’s impossible to understand. It’s impossible not to react and go insane,” S. told daily Hürriyet. 

She added that she did not realize the bus was empty when she first got on it. 

“I didn’t sit in the bus because I was planning to get off after a short while. I didn’t look at the driver’s face … When I wanted to get off, he didn’t stop. I shouted, ‘I want to get off here.’ He told me that he would drop me off on the way back. I didn’t understand what was happening. You become shocked in a situation like that and you don’t think it is possible,” S. said.

She also added that first saw the driver’s face while he was sexually assaulting her and she thought he was going to kill her.

“I thought, ‘This man is going to kill me.’ I thought ‘This is death, I’m dying.’ I had only one question in my mind: Who is going to look after my children?” S. said, adding that she only noticed her bruises after the assault took place. 

“I fainted after a while. He got surprised when I opened my eyes. When he realized that I had regained my conscience, he again tried to strangle me. I asked him ‘Why?’ and he said ‘You are beautiful. You grabbed my attention, that’s why,’” she said. 

After she got off the bus she called the police and called for an ambulance with the cell phone she had managed to hide from the driver, she also said. 

“We are all under threat in this country. I don’t believe he will get the punishment he deserves,” S. added.