Allegations of a cover-up have emerged after an illegal immigrant in upstate New York allegedly kidnapped and raped a 15-year-old girl and roamed free for more than a month before being arrested by police, who failed to inform the public that the vicious rapist had been run off the street.
The horrific incident happened just after midnight on May 14th, when a 15-year-old girl who had run away from a group home in Albany, New York, was walking down New Scotland Avenue when a man in a Toyota Prius pulled up, forced the girl into her car, brandished a metal pipe and threatened to assault her with it if she did not comply.
“If asylum seekers abducting children (on public roads), raping them and running away is not a threat to public safety, what is a threat to public safety?”
After the girl got into the passenger seat, the car drove off and parked in a secluded area near South Pearl Street. The driver forced the girl into the back seat, removed her clothes and forcibly raped her. The police report noted scratches on the girl’s legs, indicating she resisted the brutal assault.
The man released the girl, who ran to a nearby house for help. She gave consistent statements in at least two interrogations, both conducted several weeks apart, and security camera footage seemed to corroborate at least parts of her story. Albany Times Union report.
The girl identified her attacker in the photo, pointing out Sakir Akkan, a 21-year-old Turkish national who illegally entered the US in San Diego in late November last year. He was arrested by the Border Patrol at the time and charged with “forcible removal of an alien”, but was later released to the US due to a lack of bed space and ordered to appear for an immigration hearing in February 2025. He has since been attempting to be granted asylum.
It’s unclear when Akkan was first identified as a suspect in the rape of a 15-year-old girl in New York, but he wasn’t arrested until more than a month later, on June 18. And even then, Albany police did not publicly announce his arrest, as they have done for other violent rapist arrests, including one arrested earlier this month.
When pressed by media about the police’s lack of communication, Albany police spokesperson Officer Megan Craft said the department did not believe it was necessary to widely publicize the news.
“It was determined at the time that there was no imminent threat to public safety,” Kraft said. “If there had been a perceived threat to the public, appropriate information would have been released.”
Kraft also said police have a “general” policy not to issue press releases about rape arrests “to prevent re-traumatizing victims” unless the alleged sexual assault poses a “threat to the public.”
But a person familiar with the investigation, who spoke to the Times Union on condition of anonymity, countered that “if an asylum seeker kidnapping a child (on a public road), raping her and running away is not a threat to public safety, what is?”
Kraft also cited “inconsistencies” in the rape investigation, though the Times Union found no inconsistencies in the police report or available evidence. The paper also expressed confusion as to why such inconsistencies “would be relevant to the police decision not to inform the public about the kidnapping and sexual assault.”
Albany County Councilman Steve McLaughlin also expressed surprise at the secrecy surrounding the rape case. [sic] Can you believe the city authorities didn’t cover this up?,” he posted. Personal X Account“This is bullshit. This is national news. What the hell happened?”
State Senate Republicans Similarly, he called the secrecy “shameful” and accused city leaders of showing “a staggering indifference to the rights of New Yorkers.” [sic] safety.”
Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins slammed the allegations, claiming that police have been “grossly misled” about the investigation and that Akan’s immigration status “was not a factor in the decision to release the information to the media.”
A spokesperson for Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan denied any knowledge of the rape or the suspect’s immigration status. “We were not aware of the suspect’s immigration status until we received your inquiry,” the spokesperson told the Times Union.
WRGB He defended “Albany police and Democrats” and claimed allegations of a cover-up were made “without evidence.”
Akkan remains in custody at the Albany County Correctional Facility on suspicion of first-degree rape. ICE issued an immigration detention warrant against him two days after his arrest.
of New York Post The report said illegal immigrants from Turkey are known to have crossed the southern border in the San Diego area. According to the media, in both 2022 and 2023, about 15,000 Turkish nationals were apprehended by the Border Patrol in the area.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get stories like this directly to your inbox. Register here!
