59-old man sent to prison for sexually assaulting a young woman in Lefkosa

A 59-old man who was arrested for sexually assaulting a 20-year-old girl in Lefkosa has been sent to prison on court order pending trial.

The suspect named only as AT, 59, a Turkish Cypriot was arrested on Monday August 12 on accusation of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old girl he met at a stationary shop in Lefkosa.

He was taken to the Lefkosa district court on Tuesday charged with sexual assault.

Police in a court testimony against the suspect said the suspect at around 11:50am on Monday sexually assaulted a 20-year-old girl who works in a stationery shop in the Yenişehir district of Lefkosia.

Police claimed the suspect touched the woman named only as Ç.K.'s private parts, tried to kiss her on the lips by force and spoke to her inappropriately while doing this.

He was identified at his place of work and arrested following a complaint.

The suspect in his statement after his arrest said “I didn’t do it on purpose, my hand got hurt,” but police said it was obvious from the camera footage of the workplace that was examined that the crime had been committed.

Police said that the investigation was completed and that the suspect had accepted the charges brought against him and requested that he be remanded in custody for trial.

Police said that the suspect became a citizen 4 months ago, but the crime he committed carries a prison sentence, and that the suspect may flee to avoid prison.

The prosecutor also stated that there was an increase in sexual crimes in the country, that the suspect, who had recently become a citizen, committed such a crime while he had just received an ID, that he accepted his case, that it was highly probable that he would receive a prison sentence, and requested that he be sent to prison for a period not exceeding 10 days.

The suspect's lawyer objected to the request for detention and requested that the suspect be released on bail.

The suspect's lawyer, who noted that the suspect had been living in the TRNC for a long time, had recently become a citizen and that there was no possibility of him escaping, had the court hear two guarantors.

After the hearing, the judge stating that the crimes the suspect allegedly committed were serious and caused outrage in society, ordered that he be sent to prison for a period not exceeding 20 days in order to prevent his escape.