Child Rape Trial

According to the indictment, the 12-year-old N.C., one of the seven children of a poor family, was sold to many men in the southeastern province of Mardin by two women: Turkan Temel and Emine Akyol. Tens of men raped the child time after time on village roads, empty villages, public buildings, workplaces and cars.

A deputy elementary school principal, a top official from the district head's office, head man of the village, and a businessman are among the 28 defendants who are now standing trial for raping N.C.

Tens of defence lawyers and the victim with only one lawyer

A total of about 50 women from the provinces of Diyarbakir, Batman, Mardin, Siirt, Sirnak, Urfa and Ankara were present at the hearing.

Aygul Demirtas, a lawyer at the Diyarbakir bar said they could not watch the closed-door hearing.

"The defendants, their lawyers and their relatives formed a huge crowd. The little girl came to the hearing with her father and two women police officers. She was brought in through another door so we did not have the chance to see her," Demirtas said.

Demirtas said they were meeting with N.C.'s family to support them and also take her mandate. The family is not expressing any opinions about the mandate, she said. "A woman, who has just come to Kiziltepe, Mardin from Mersin is granted the mandate."

"This is a women massacre"

"The conditions in the region, for example, the emergency rule and the economic situation, prepared a basis for what N.C. went through," said Ulku Adiyaman from the women's branches of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). Adiyaman came to Mardin from Ankara to support N.C."No one should overlook the fact that most of the defendants are top bureaucrats," Adiyaman added.

Lawyer Demirtas said they would be following the lawsuit and continue to spend efforts against women massacre.(FK/EA/NM)