Bus driver accused of sexual harassment in western Latvia

Attempted sexual harassment by a bus driver on Saturday evening was witnessed by a passenger in the municipality of Dienvidkurzeme, who was first offered a ride home, then five euros for sexual favors, Kurzeme Television reported on June 5.

Dita, resident of Rucava parish, wrote on Twitter: "The bus driver offered to drive me closer to home and then relentlessly followed me through the forest. The offer? Sex. The price? 5 euros. I was just offered 5 euros for my body."

Dita said that on Saturday evening, she had been on the bus Liepāja–Nīca and was about to get off at the final stop, revealing to the bus driver that she would try to hitchhike the remaining 10 kilometers. There were no other passengers left, and the driver had offered to take her closer to home.

She accepted the offer, but then intuitively sensed potential danger and asked the bus driver to stop a few kilometers before home because she didn't want him to know her place of residence.

“Then he said: I haven't had it for a long time. Can you help me? I haven't had sex long ago, I really want to, and I can't get it. I told him I wasn't interested and I started to go home. He called me back, and said, Five euro, five euro! I was so surprised, I laughed, then said: You're offering me five euros for sex? He said yes. It made me laugh. I laughed, said it wasn't for me, and I started to go vigorously in the direction of the house,” Dita said.

The driver got out of the bus and began to follow her, continuing to ask for sex.

As the road is secluded, the woman feared for her safety and had already prepared a tear gas balloon, and called her boyfriend in a hurry. The intrusive follower was stopped only by the unexpected appearance of a car.

“That was the moment he saw that car, he stopped. Just like his personality changed. He said: You want me to go? I said yes, and then he turned and left,” said Dita.

Dita has already been contacted by both the Road Transport Directorate and the employer of the bus driver – “Liepāja Bus Park”. Following an investigation, Liepājas Bus Park has immediately started the employment termination procedure with the driver of the bus, said the company.

The company is prepared to continue providing all necessary information to the authorities to investigate the event in detail and comprehensively, as well as to take all necessary steps to prevent such situations from recurring in the future.

In a conversation with TV Kurzeme, Dita confirmed that she would also turn to the police. She had witnessed the driver's friendliness to teens on the bus, which made her think that he might have expressed such offers to other passengers.

The State Police said that no investigation has been initiated yet because no information has been received.

The Road Transport Directorate also promises to write a submission to the police, calling for an investigation into an incident where both the unauthorized diversion of the public bus from the route and the harassment of a passenger has taken place.

 

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