She Murdered Rapist Threatening Her for 4 Years, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

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Yonca Özer is 27 years old. She murdered Abdullah Okan who was harassing and threatening herself and her family, and attempted rape in their last meeting and told her that he would release the rape video on Internet.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison over murder under unjust provocation. The court ruled that the elements for self-defense didn’t constitute.

Özer’s lawyers objected to the decision. The file is now at the Regional Court of Justice. The case will be re-heard if the court reverses the decision.

One of Özer’s lawyers Gürkan Fıstıkçı is going to make a motion for the regional court to hold a hearing.

In case this motion is approved, Fıstıkçı called on the women’s organizations to get involved in the trial and stressed that the court must rule that it was self-defense.

Speaking to bianet, Fıstıkçı said:

“What could a woman have done against who was prepared to rape her other than protecting herself? Yonca would be murdered in the other scenario and that person would be the defendant and I would be serving as the attorney of the murdered.

“I’ve tried to explain this to the court during the trial. While there is an armed man who is obsessed with a woman for years, the chance of surviving such a rape situation is very dim. Yonca Özer had two options: she would either be raped and murdered or she wouldn’t be raped. Yonca chose to survive”. (ÇT/TK)