A 26-year-old woman with disabilities from Almaty was sexually assaulted, her mother said, demanding justice in court. The incident occurred after the woman met a 23-year-old man from Shymkent in an online game. According to the victim, he held her captive in a rented apartment for nearly 24 hours, reports infohub.kz.
According to the mother, her daughter has been diagnosed with epilepsy and intellectual disability since the age of two. The woman cannot read or write, has no sense of direction, and requires constant assistance. In March this year, she met the man through an online game. After meeting, he called a taxi for her and invited her to his rented apartment, where he allegedly held her captive.
“They held my daughter there in the apartment for a whole day. She was raped three times in 24 hours. It’s just torture: there were tears, bruises. He admits he raped her, yes, but claims it was consensual. How can it be consensual when the child is not right in the head? She is like a little child. She watches cartoons, can’t read, doesn’t even know how to tell time,” the mother said.
The victim herself described the attack: “He grabbed my hands, bit my neck. I wanted to call my mom. He turned off my phone. He locked the door. I banged on the wall and screamed. But no one heard.” Afterward, the man sent her home by taxi. The mother immediately took her daughter to doctors, who confirmed the sexual assault and said she needed surgery.
The mother also claims that the suspect’s relatives offered to cover up the case. “He’s young, we don’t want him to go to jail. Please, maybe they could get married? – back and forth, they offered money. I said: No. Whoever did what should be held accountable by law,” she said.
Police opened a criminal case but closed it after three months of investigation. Official representative of the Almaty Police Department Saltanat Azirbek stated: “The victim’s arguments were not confirmed. According to the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the criminal case was discontinued due to the absence of a criminal offense. The district prosecutor’s office, as the supervisory body, agreed with this decision and deemed it lawful.” The mother filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office but to no avail.
Lawyers advise appealing to a specialized court. Gabit Umirbekov, advisor to the chairman of the Republican College of Legal Consultants, explained: “If experts confirm that the woman is telling the truth—that the perpetrator took advantage of her incapacitated state and caused her such harm leading to serious consequences—the victim has the right to apply to the specialized criminal court of Almaty to overturn the decision of the prosecutor and investigator.” The mother intends to pursue a trial.