Ice cream vendor allegedly arrested for sexually harassing customer
What was meant to be a brief layover in Istanbul turned into a nightmare for a female tourist, who was allegedly sexually harassed by an Turkish ice cream vendor.
Earlier this month, the victim posted a clip of the incident on the r/femaletravels and r/AskTurkey subreddits while seeking netizens’ advice.
Source: Dusty_Fairy_ on Reddit
The establishment was later sealed, and an ice cream vendor was reportedly arrested.
Turkish ice cream vendor puts ice cream cone down customer’s shirt
The video starts with the Turkish ice cream man putting an ice cream cone down the OP’s shirt.
Source: dusty_fairy_ on Reddit
Visibly startled, the woman takes a step back. However, the ice cream man continued with his antics and brushed the ice cream against the customer’s face.
Source: dusty_fairy_ on Reddit
The video ends with the ice cream man grabbing her hand and inviting the OP to have a taste of the ice cream.
Source: dusty_fairy_ on Reddit
OP angry for not standing up to ice cream vendor
The OP wrote in the post that she was upset at herself for not “standing up” to the ice cream seller. She also said she was “disgusted, humiliated, angry, and sad”.
Recounting the incident, the OP explained that she had a short layover in the country and had no choice but to leave the next morning.
However, felt angry at herself for “not doing anything about it” and “letting him get away”.
Saying that she “would do anything to get him to face some kind of consequence for the crime”, the OP said she intends to contact the tourism police regarding the incident.
Seller arrested & shop sealed the next day
The next day, Inan Guney — Mayor of Beyoglu Municipality — posted a video on X showing police officers removing equipment from the shop.
In his post, he wrote that the establishment had been sealed. An ice cream seller has also reportedly been arrested.
“Beyoğlu is a district where all women can walk safely, and we will take every measure to ensure it remains so,” said the mayor.
Turkish ice cream vendors known for tricks & showmanship
It is common for Turkish ice cream vendors to prank customers with playful tricks and showmanship.
They would pretend to hand the cone over to the customer, only to pull back at the last minute.
The ‘show’ is possible due to the sticky and chewy texture of Turkish ice cream — known as Maraş dondurması —
Also read: Teen in Turkey dies on video call with mother after allergic reaction to peanuts
Teen in Turkey dies on video call with mother after allergic reaction to peanuts
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Featured image from dusty_fairy_ on Reddit.
Turkish ice cream stall ‘sealed’ after seller sexually harassed customer
