Police arrested Albert Yishmailov, a taxi driver from the Kiryat area near Haifa, on suspicion of raping a 16-year-old girl he was driving. The court permitted publication of his name and photo to locate additional alleged victims; four complaints have been gathered so far, according to Israeli media.
Police have identified the Haifa-area taxi driver suspected of raping a 16-year-old girl as Albert Yishmailov, a resident of the Kiryat area. A court lifted a publication ban on his name and photo, and authorities are urging any other potential victims to come forward. As of this morning's hearings, four complaints have been collected in the case, according to Israeli media.
The development follows a series of court proceedings on Thursday morning, which The Zioneer has tracked since the first remand hearing. Initial reports at 10:44 Jerusalem time detailed the complainant, her family, and supporters arriving at the Kiryat Magistrate's Court. By that same hour, police had confirmed four complaints against the suspect. The suspect's identity was first published at 10:44, and continued to be refined across subsequent wire updates. A separate thread from The Zioneer's earlier reporting noted that a second alleged victim has resurfaced with a past complaint from 2021, which she says police closed without locating the driver — and has now resubmitted it.
Attributed context from The Zioneer's background coverage includes an interview with the teen's mother, who stated her daughter knew the suspect and was not afraid of him. The suspect denies the allegations, claiming the contact was consensual and that the teen misrepresented her age.
It remains unclear how many additional victims may come forward following the publication of the suspect's name and photo. The investigation is ongoing, and a hearing on extending Yishmailov's remand is expected to continue Thursday.
6 developments
- DevelopingSecond alleged victim of Haifa taxi driver comes forward with past complaint
- DevelopingMother of teen who alleges taxi driver rape speaks out in new interview
- DevelopingIndictment filed against Kiryat Motzkin man for severe sex crimes against 14-year-old girl
- DevelopingKiryat Yam man indicted for sexually harassing teenage girl he contacted on WhatsApp
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