'Police Shared the Address of Women’s Shelter with the Man Who Inflicted Violence'

"We are not family, but women!"

Click to read the article in Turkish

Struggling against male violence in Turkey for years now, the Purple Roof (Mor Çatı) Women's Shelter Foundation has been regularly sharing the problems of women on its social media accounts.

In sharing the problems they are informed about, the Foundation does not give details about women, such as their names, addresses, etc.

For instance, the Purple Roof posted the following tweet today:

"A woman said that after her husband inflicted violence on her, she called the police; the police officers took them all to the police station, took their deposition and brought the woman home with her child; she was told that the protection order would be issued a week later."

Officer revealed the address of the shelter

According to the Purple Roof, both prosecutors and police officers neglect their duties here. Another social media post previously shared by the Foundation also shows how police officers could commit a neglect of duty in handling incidents of male violence:

A woman who went to the police department to complain about male violence was advised to appeal to a women's shelter; however, a police inspector - and a friend of the husband - working in that department told the address of the shelter to the man who inflicted violence on the woman.

Informed about the issue, the Purple Roof has announced it on social media and posted the following message:

"As stipulated by the relevant regulation, the addresses and phone numbers of shelters as well as the personal information of the women, children and workers there shall be kept confidential. All relevant authorities are obligated to protect this confidentiality. An action needs to be taken against the personnel who commited a neglect of duty and violated the confidentiality."

CLICK - "Women's Shelters Must Be Secret for Safety Reasons"

'Have any sanctions been imposed?'

Women's shelters are places where women who fled male violence can stay with their children and receive social, psychological and legal support that they need to build a new life free from violence and dependence. Their addresses are kept confidential and sharing them constitutes a crime.

After it was reported that the police officer shared the address of the women's shelter with the man who inflicted violence on the woman, the issue has caused public outrage, especially among women on social media.

In fact, this outrage has soon turned into a social media campaign. Women now ask on social media: "Let there be not a single one of us remain who have not asked this question. I ask it, too: What kind of a sanction has been imposed on the police officer who gave the address of the shelter?"

Despite these insistent questions on social media, there has been no news that an action has been taken against the officer.

'Neglect of duty needs to be penalized'

Melike Keleş from the Purple Roof has told bianet the following:

"As far as we can observe, if the man inflicting violence has an acquaintant prosecutor, police officer or the like, women shy away from making an application. We see something similar in this incident. The woman mustered up her whole strength and made an application, but the man who inflicted violence on her has a police friend, he told him about where she was. Woman is in a safe place now. In no way do we share detailed information.

"Men also sometimes call us and say, 'My wife is mentally ill, she does not know what she does. Is she with you?' We do not give them information, either. When you type 'shelter' on the Internet, the Purple Roof comes up first. That is why several men call us, but we never share information. It is a crime according to law.

"It is also a crime that the police officer shared the information, even with his friend. The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services has to launch necessary investigations against the person who share information about shelters. A legal investigation must also be launched. Only when an action is taken against the ones who neglect their duties that such crimes and neglects can be prevented." (EMK/SD)