‘My Daughter was Killed, They Want to Cover up the Murder’

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"There are videos showing my daughter being dragged and battered by her boyfriend. The video right after this dragging is not clear. It is not clear what happened in the meantime.

"Then, you see her boyfriend again in the video. My daughter is not there. I think that my daughter was killed by that man. My daughter was not a person who could commit suicide. The man held responsible for the death of my daughter stood trial at a penal court of first instance. He has been acquitted.

"The reports that we requested and the requests that we raised were never taken seriously. We demand that the trial start again and the defendant stand trial at a heavy penal court."

Şöhret Dedeoğlu argues that the death of her daughter Nazan Dedeoğlu was not a suicide, but a murder. Nazan Dedeoğlu suspiciously lost her life by falling off a bridge in Kumkapı, İstanbul on April 18, 2018.

Her death was written down in the minutes as "suspicious".

Her boyfriend U.B.Y. was with Nazan Dedeoğlu at the time of incident. He was released after his first deposition was taken. A lawsuit was filed against the man at the İstanbul 5th Penal Court of First Instance. He was charged with "driving a person to suicide".

In his defense at court, U.B.Y. said, "We went to an entertainment hall with Nazan. We were going to go home after that. She sat on the floor and did not stand up. I used the footbridge. When I looked at Nazan, I saw her clinging to the railings. Nazan let herself fall and fell on her back."

Video footages do not verify his defense

However, neither the remarks of Nazan's mother, nor the video footages featuring the time of incident verify the defense of U.B.Y.

The videos show that U.B.Y. dragged Nazan Dedeoğlu on the ground and battered her. However, as the video was not clear after they went up the stairs of the footbridge, it cannot be understood what happened after that.

'Where are the bag and phone of my daughter?'

Mother Şöhret Dedeoğlu says that her daughter was not suicidal and she did not commit suicide in any way. "The reports that we requested were not issued and the requests that we raised were disregarded", adds the mother. Dedeoğlu also emphasizes that a lawsuit must be filed against the acquitted U.B.Y. on charge of "wilful killing".

Indicating that the bag and mobile phone that her daughter had with her at the time of incident are missing, mother Dedeoğlu says, "Where are the bag and mobile phone not handed over to us? Did those evidence go missing in the prosecution process? I think that my daughter was killed by that man. I want the prosecutor's office to take action and a new lawsuit to be filed."

Stating that she also has photos showing U.B.Y. while battering Nazan Dedeoğlu before, Şöhret Dedeoğlu adds, "He beat my daughter before. There are pictures showing my daughter with a bruise on her eye. I even went to the house of the boy's [U.B.Y.] family after the incident. I told them if something happens to my child, they will be responsible for that. I am still of the same opinion. However, there is an intention of covering up the murder."

Dedeoğlu family appealed against U.B.Y.'s verdict of acquittal at the court of appeal in October 2019. It was indicated that the judicial control measures previously imposed on the defendant were lifted on the ground that he would do his mandatory military service; however, he did not do so. The family also requested that the trial start again.

Call for justice on social media

Her family has also launched a social media campaign for their daughter, saying "We demand justice for Nazan":

#nazandedeoğluicinadalet pic.twitter.com/H6gVbHYQNZ

— Nazan Dedeoğlu için adalet (@nazanicinadalet) December 7, 2019

bianet November 2019 male violence monitoring report has shown that the deaths of at least 28 women were reported in the press as "suspicious". (EMK/SD)