Police officer handed life sentence for killing trans woman Hande Buse Şeker
Drawing: Aslı Alpar
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The police officer who killed trans woman Hande Buse Şeker in the western İzmir province last year has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The eighth hearing of the case was held at İzmir 4th Heavy Penal Court yesterday (November 26).
At the hearing, Şeker's attorneys requested that the defendant, Volkan Hicret, be sentenced as per the upper limits of the alleged crimes, stressing its importance for the fight against hate crimes, Kaos GL reported.
Hanse Buse's sister said that the last wish of their mother, who lost her life two days before the hearing, was for the perpetrator to receive the heaviest sentence.
On January 9, 2019, police officer Hicret robbed and killed Şeker with the police weapon at her home in Alsancak district. The incident happened when he was not on duty.
Hicret was sentenced to life imprisonment for intentional killing, to 21 years in prison for qualified sexual assault, to 3 years, to 5 years and 6 months for qualified looting thrice, to 9 months for injury twice, and to 2 years for insulting the memory of a person.
The court rejected the defendant's request for sentence reduction due to "unjust provocation" and "good behavior."
The request for an aggravated life sentence by Şeker's attorneys was also rejected.
After the hearing, attorney Kerem Dikmen, the law affairs coordinator of the Kaos GL Association, said that an aggravated sentence should have been given for "qualified intentional killing."
Attorney Mahmut Şeren, the law affairs coordinator of the Genç LGBTİ+ group, said that the court's rejection of sentence reduction due to unjust provocation and good behavior was significant in terms of "hate murders targeting trans women."
However, he also said that an aggravated life sentence should have been given to the defendant.
What happened?
In a row that erupted in an apartment in Konak, İzmir, the bullets from the firearm of police officer Volkan Hicret killed transgender woman Hande Şeker and wounded trans women Y.A. and A.T.K.
According to the indictment prepared by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Hicret and his friend A.T. met sex workers Buse Şeker and Ateş at around 6 a.m. on January 9, 2019.
They then went to Şeker and Ateş's home together. Şeker's friends Y. and M. were also at home at the time.
An argument occurred between the men and the sex workers after they requested the payment in advance, according to the indictment. Hicret then fired upon the women, killing one and wounding two.
After that, Hicret sexually assaulted Y. and beat the dead body of Hande Buse, said the prosecutors. (EMK/VK)