Canberra Man Acquitted of Sexual Assault Charges

A jury at the ACT Supreme Court has found Hakan Eren, a man in his mid-thirties, not guilty of multiple sexual assault charges stemming from an incident during a Bumble date.

Charges Overview

Eren faced seven charges, including serious accusations of rape and acts of indecency. After deliberation, the jury cleared him of all charges.

Détails of the Incident

The alleged events reportedly occurred in the woman’s vehicle at Lennox Gardens in Yarralumla, following a meeting at the Kingston Hotel in September 2022. The woman testified that while she consented to certain activities, she explicitly asked Eren to stop, claiming he continued to sexually assault her multiple times.

Mr. Eren’s Defense

In his defense, Eren asserted that there was no sexual intercourse involved, only kissing, and claimed he ceased actions when prompted by the woman. His legal counsel, James Sabharwal, stated that Eren was initially confused when police approached him at his workplace regarding the allegations and maintained that his pants had never been removed during their time in the car, contradicting the victim’s account.

Evidence Presented

The prosecution urged the jury to consider the woman’s emotional reaction post-incident, highlighting a statement where she expressed feeling “really disgusting…really dirty,” which they argued reflected the impact of the alleged assault.

Conflicting Accounts

The jury heard varying accounts of the encounter. While the prosecution pointed to DNA evidence found within the woman that matched Eren, Sabharwal cautioned the jury against drawing conclusions solely based on this, suggesting it did not definitively establish non-consensual contact due to prior consensual activities between the two.

Character Testimonies

During the trial, testimonies from two other women who dated Eren were presented, portraying him in a positive light, with Sabharwal noting that Eren might have a different approach to dating but urged the jury to assess him based on the trial evidence without bias.

Conclusion

The jury’s decision to find Eren not guilty of all counts reflects the complexities and challenges embedded in sexual assault cases, particularly those involving conflicting narratives and perceptions of consent.