‘A perpetrator of sexual assault released in Kilis,’ says former CHP MP

"Everywhere is a crime scene"

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) former MP Barış Yarkadaş has announced that a perpetrator of sexual abuse has been released after serving only 12 days behind bars in Kilis province.

Posting a series of messages on his social media account, Yarkadaş has shared the information given by the family of the girl:

"News of 'impunity' is pouring in from all corners of the country. This morning, I received soul-crushing news from a village in Musabeyli, Kilis. The terrible story of a girl who was raped and gave birth to a child...

"The perpetrator of the incident was arrested upon the complaint of the girl, but he has been released after staying only 12 days in prison. The family is appalled... They do not know what to do... As I cannot do anything about it, I feel the need to share the incident with you. The girl named XXX brought water to [his] house 2 years ago, when she was just 15 years old.

"Meanwhile, she was raped by X, who was 36 years old at the time, married and had three children. Following the assault, the 15-year-old girl went home and said nothing about it to anyone. The male assaulter found the girl 3 days later and told her, 'I will take [marry] you, don't say anything to anybody. Then, he threatened her.

'Let's be a voice'

"Another sexual assault took palce after some time. When the wife of the married man heard about this, she left home. The married man persuaded her to come back. Meanwhile, our girl, the victim of the incident, could not reveal the perpetrator as she was afraid.

"And 15 days ago, our girl named XXX had fever. Her father took her to hospital, saying, 'My daughter has caught coronavirus.' Having turned 17 just a few days ago, our girl told the doctor about what happened and said, 'I might be pregnant. Don't let my father know about it, they will kill me.' Then, the doctor informed the gendarmerie. After the deposition was taken by the gendarmerie, the issue was referred to the prosecutor's office.

"In her deposition, the young girl said, 'I file a criminal complaint against him, he raped me. It continued like this for two years with intervals. I could not say anything to anyone because I was afraid.' The male assaulter was arrested as a result of this. But, oddly enough, he stayed in prison for only 12 days and was released 3 days ago.

"People from the girl's family told me about this today. I listened to the story in dismay. The phone calls and other information are in the case file. There is a victim girl and a family seeking justice. LET'S BE A VOICE!"

Attorneys of both parties contacted Yarkadaş

Shortly after these tweets, the attorneys of both parties contacted Yarkadaş, as he has said on Twitter. The attorney of the perpetrator said, "It is true that my client stayed in prison for only 12 days. But he has been released as the state of evidence has changed. It is not how you wrote it."

The attorney of the family said that the girl "had 3 different depositions and, in each one of them, she insistently said that she had been raped."

The attorney also added, "It cannot be explained by law how the defendant was released within 12 days. The state of evidence has not changed." (EMK/SD)