The Albany Police Department arrested a Turkish man on rape charges several months after he unlawfully entered the United States, but they chose not to immediately notify the public.
Albany police arrested Sakir Akkan, a 21-year-old Turkish national seeking asylum in the U.S., on June 18 after he allegedly threatened a 15-year-old girl with a weapon and then raped her in the back seat of his car, according to the Times Union. The Albany Police Department chose not to immediately notify the public of the alleged sexual assault at the time.
The lack of a news release by the Albany Police Department following the girl’s abduction, despite the alleged rapist remaining at large at the time, was called into question by the Times Union and others reportedly involved in the case. Albany police maintain that no notification was given because they deemed there was no immediate threat to the community.
“We want to assure the community that immediately after this incident was reported, an assessment was conducted and it was determined that there was no imminent threat to the public,” a statement from Police Chief Eric Hawkins, shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation, reads.. “The common practice by the Albany Police Department is that information regarding sexual assaults are not released through a media release to prevent further trauma to the victim, unless there are other extenuating circumstances, such as if the situation poses an imminent threat to the public.”
Akkan’s immigration status was “simply not a factor” in their decision to not issue a media release at the time, he said.
Border Patrol apprehended Akkan roughly seven months ago in San Diego after he was observed crossing illegally into the U.S., the Times Union reported. It remains unclear what led him to the Albany, New York, region, and he was reportedly listed as unemployed at the time of his arrest by Albany police.
The incident took place in the early morning hours of May 14, when a 15-year-old girl snuck out of a group home in the area, the Times Union reported. Akkan allegedly drove up to her in a green Toyota Prius, emerged from the vehicle holding a metal rod and threatened to hit her if she didn’t get inside the car, where he then drove her off to a more secluded area.
The girl, who has remained unidentified, said Akkan threatened to hit her with the metal pipe if she didn’t get in the back seat, and he then allegedly took her clothes off and raped her, according to the Times Union. He then allegedly let the girl out of his car and drove away.
She had defensive scratches on her legs from the incident, according to the Times Union. Security camera footage helped identify the vehicle in question and corroborate the girl’s claims.
The police department has notified the public about alleged sexual assaults and rapes in the past, and a person close to the case pushed back on the narrative that Akkan didn’t pose a threat to the community, the Times Union noted.
“If an asylum-seeker snatching a kid (off a public street) and raping them and remaining on the loose is not a threat to public safety, then what is a threat to public safety?” an individual involved in the investigation told the Times Union.
Federal immigration authorities have also been reluctant to speak about the matter.
“Sakir Akkan, 21, is a citizen of [Turkey] who unlawfully entered the U.S. near Tecate, California, in November 2023,” an ICE spokesperson told the DCNF. “He is currently in the custody of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. On June 20, ICE lodged a detainer with the Albany County Correctional Facility.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include new commentary from an ICE spokesperson.
Featured Image Credit: Flickr/U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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