Woman with epilepsy alleges severe ill-treatment at police station

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A woman has filed a complaint alleging ill-treatment at a police station in İzmir, western Turkey.

Oya Ş. was detained on Monday while undergoing hospital admission procedures at the Çamdibi District Polyclinic in the Bornova district. She had visited the polyclinic for epilepsy treatment.

Oya Ş. explained that the arrest warrant stemmed from a dispute that occurred in Antalya in 2020 during her stay there, which resulted in a 3,200 Turkish lira administrative fine against her.

"I was feeding stray cats in my neighborhood in Antalya. One day, I noticed that some of the cats had died. I asked the shopkeepers why they hadn't removed these cats. We had an argument about this, and the incident was taken to court," she said. "I received a 3,200 lira administrative fine, which I wasn't aware of. I believe I did not receive the notification because my address had changed."

After her detention, Oya Ş. was taken to Türkan Özilhan State Hospital for a health check, where she informed the doctor about her epilepsy condition.

Ill-treatment at the police station

Later, she was taken to the Çamdibi Police Station in Bornova, where she stated to the police that she did not have the money to pay the fine. She recalled, "They started shouting at me. I explained that I didn't have that much money on me and couldn't find it immediately. In response, they told me to 'shut up, stop lying.'

"We were in a closed environment, and they were constantly smoking. I asked them not to smoke. One of the police officers then said, 'Do you have any other orders?' I think my epilepsy was triggered, and I felt breathless, so I told them that I would call 112 [emergency line].

"I also mentioned that I needed to take my medication. However, one of the police officers took out pepper spray from his pocket and sprayed it specifically on my breasts, face, and eyes. I must have passed out at that moment."

Racist slurs

Oya Ş. claimed that after a while, a police officer woke her up by saying, "Get up, you filth," and she realized she was handcuffed. "One of the female police officers said derogatory things to me, like 'filthy Kurd, don't we know your tricks?' They started beating me again. They threw me into a police vehicle. When I asked for water, they said, 'Drink your snot.' They said [about the pepper spray] 'Did the Dolce Gabbana perfume help?' 'Did it smell good?'"

According to Oya Ş., the ill-treatment continued even after she was taken from the police station to the courthouse. She said that a police officer there also insulted her, and the officers told her, "Find the money, and we will release you."

She said she was released after her sister living in Germany sent the money. However, Oya Ş. claimed that the police only returned her phone and kept her two quarter gold coins when they released her.

The next day, she went to Yeşilyurt State Hospital, where she obtained a report confirming the physical assault, which was also seen by bianet.

Oya Ş. said that she had also saw the report given at the hospital where the police took her through the e-government portal. This report said she had "fallen," which wasn't accurate. She suspects that the mention of "falling" in the report, which was issued before the ill-treatment, was an attempt by the police to cover up the torture.

Oya Ş. has filed a criminal complaint against the police officers at the Çamdibi Police Station for torture, assault, and robbery. Despite multiple attempts, bianet was unable to reach the police station. (EMK/VK)