" I was highly intoxicated and didn't remember where I went"- Student arrested for sexual assault tells court

A foreign national was brought to a TRNC court on Wednesday and remanded in custody after he was arrested for entering a residence and sexually assaulted a woman who was sleeping in her residence.

The suspect identified as M.M.I.S, a foreign student in north Cyprus was arrested on Tuesday November 19 and brought to a Lefkosia court on Wednesday November 20 on charges of  sexual assault and trespassing.

According to police statement in court, the incident happened at around 3:00 a.m on November 10, 2024, when the suspect MMIS, a resident of Gönyeli, unlawfully entered the residence of a 20-year-old woman, named only as Ç.Ö., in the Küçük Kaymaklı Dumlupınar area of Lefkosa. 

After trespassing, he allegedly got on top of the woman while she was sleeping in her bedroom. He then attempted to hold her hands, and sexually assaulted her before leaving the premises.

The police stated that following a complaint filed by the Crimes Prevention Branch, an investigation was launched. 

During the investigation, the Lefkosa Criminal Branch and Crimes Prevention Branch reviewed footage from the city surveillance system (KGYS) and other cameras in the area, leading to the identification of the suspect.

The police reported that the suspect was located at his residence in Gönyeli on November 19, 2024, and arrested with a pending court order. 

During a search conducted at his residence between 8:00am and 8:45 p.m., the clothes he had worn on the day of the incident were found and seized as evidence.

The police further stated that the suspect admitted to the crime, claiming he was highly intoxicated and could not remember where he went, whose house he entered, or why. He claimed to be unaware of the incident.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, with camera footage still to be examined and additional statements to be collected. The suspect's legal status in the country will also be investigated. The police requested an additional two days for detention.