Shuttlebus driver accused of rape released from custody

A driver working for a private bus company that shuttles people to and from work in the Aspropyrgos industrial zone, west of the capital, was released from police custody after being accused of raping a passenger, it emerged on Tuesday.

The 46-year-old man had been arrested following a complaint lodged by a 27-year-old woman last week who told police he had lured her to a remote location and raped her as she was trying to get to work at a warehouse in the area. 

According to the woman’s complaint, she had tried to board the bus along with other workers early last Monday morning at the Aspropyrgos Proastiakos suburban railway station but was told by the driver that there weren’t enough seats and he would come back for her later. When he returned, she found herself alone on the bus with the driver, who took her to a remote location and raped her, she told police at the Aspropyrgos precinct.

He allegedly then drove her to her place of employment, where he admonished her to “calm down” before dropping her off. 

The woman was bleeding and in a state of shock when she reported the incident to the police, according to reports.

The suspect was arrested a week later, on Monday, and released from custody pending trial.