A migrant from Turkey was charged with raping a 15-year-old lady in Albany — and questions are swirling about why it took cops greater than a month to tell the general public in regards to the horrific assault.
Sakir Akkan, 21, is accused of attacking the teenager inside his automotive on Arch Avenue within the state capital within the early hours of Could 14 after she ran away from a neighborhood group dwelling, court docket information obtained by The Publish present.
Akkan — who wasn’t arrested till final week — allegedly instructed the lady, who was within the passenger seat of his Toyota Prius, that he’d pummel her if she didn’t get into the again, and threatened her with a steel pole, in keeping with the submitting.
As soon as she was contained in the backseat, he allegedly took the lady’s garments off and raped her, the submitting fees.
The sufferer, who lived in a bunch dwelling near the place the assault unfolded and was identified to cops, suffered scratches on her legs from making an attempt to withstand the assault, in keeping with court docket docs.
The teenager was lower free quickly after and fled to a close-by residence for assist, a police report obtained by The Albany Occasions-Union exhibits.
The suspect was lastly nabbed June 18 and slapped with a first-degree rape cost, Albany cops confirmed.
Akkan was again in court docket on Thursday, sporting a pompadour-style hairdo with buzzed sides, with an orange Albany County Correctional Facility jumpsuit and shackles.
By means of a Turkish translator, Akkan agreed to waive preliminary hearings and grand jury proceedings.
He was ordered held on $25,000 money bail, a $50,000 bond or a partial bond of $75,000 by Albany Metropolis Court docket Decide John Reilly.
However his personal felony protection lawyer, George LaMarche, stated Akkan received’t have the ability to submit bail as a result of the feds have filed an immigration detainer in opposition to him, retaining him locked up.
Court docket information present Akkan has an tackle listed in Troy, NY, however he’s not a US citizen, and his lawyer confirmed on Thursday that he does have household within the Albany capital area.
He was arrested by US Border Patrol brokers on Nov. 5 final 12 months after crossing into San Diego, California, illegally, a Homeland Safety supply instructed The Publish.
Akkan knowledgeable brokers he was making an attempt to get to Philadelphia however failed to offer an tackle.
Simply days later, he was launched on his personal recognizance resulting from an absence of mattress house and ordered to look in a Philadelphia court docket on Feb. 19, 2025, the supply added.
Albany cops acquired an alert about his immigration standing through an FBI database when he was fingerprinted within the wake of the alleged rape, in keeping with court docket filings.
Akkan was arraigned final Wednesday and had been held with out bail on the Albany County Jail.
Police in Albany have taken warmth for failing to inform the general public of the vicious sexual assault till after the native information outlet began probing — even because the suspect was on the free for a couple of month.
“The reasoning shouldn’t matter, the actual fact the general public wasn’t knowledgeable of such an atrocity is disgraceful,” New York State Senate Republicans posted on X.
“A stunning lack of concern for New Yorker’s security.”
In a press release this week, police defended the choice.
“The frequent observe by the Albany Police Division is that data relating to sexual assaults usually are not launched by means of a media launch to forestall additional trauma to the sufferer, except there are different extenuating circumstances,” comparable to a possible menace to the neighborhood, Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins stated.
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