Release of Perpetrators of Male Violence due to Pandemic Leaves Women Anxious

*If you lose hope, remember this crowd. (Photo Feminist Night March)

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Perpetrators of violence on women have begun to be released from prison after the new law on criminal enforcement entered into force while the government has not taken any measures to protect women, according to women's rights defenders.

While the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had said that perpetrators of violence on women and sexual offenses wouldn't benefit from the new legislation, critics point out that some provisions of the new law allow the release of those who were involved in violence against women.

CLICK - Law on Criminal Enforcement Enters into Force

"Women are anxiously waiting at home"

Canan Güllü, the chair of the Federation of Women's Associations of Turkey, told bianet that she considered the law as "the political opportunism of the government."

While the purpose of the legislation was to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by reducing the prison population, an amnesty law has been enacted rather than a criminal enforcement regulation, she said.

"Because it is our area of expertise, we wrote and talked about the errors of the articles about the release of women and children and sent information notes to all political parties and the media," Güllü remarked.

However, the enacted law protects married women while ignoring violence in non-marital relationships, according to Güllü. For example, she said, if a man who inflicted violence on his girlfriend was sentenced to six years in prison, his sentence would be reduced by half due to the conditional release clause in the law. And because the probation period was increased from one to three years, he would never be imprisoned.

"Now, can you tell me that violence on women is included [in the law]? Nobody listened to us, women's organizations and sadly, the national media continues lying, saying it is included."

Because of the quarantine conditions, released convicts will be sent to their homes, which means "the state will put cats among pigeons," according to Güllü. Women have not been informed about that and anxiously waiting at home, she noted.

"Fears became reality"

"Women followed anxiously whether this bill would pass over the past week. Because they were concerned about whether there were people who used violence against them would benefit from this draft bill or not. This anxiety has now become reality in its most painful form," said attorney Fulya Dağlı from Women's Defense.

She also recalled that judges and prosecutors were recently ordered to consider the perpetrator's health during the pandemic when issuing a restraint order in male violence cases. This would deprive women of a means against violence, she said.

CLICK - 'Covid-19 Regulation by Judicial Body will Increase Male Violence'

"The state should have introduced certain control measures against perpetrators of violence. If the people they were violent with were sharing the same house with them, it should have taken measures to prevent these perpetrators from going to these houses.

"According to the relevant article of the İstanbul Convention, women should have been notified prior to the evacuation of the perpetrator. If it does not do these, it should have effectively enforced / should effectively enforce the law No 6284 [on violence against women]."

"Women's lives are at risk"

"Even if it is said that crimes of violence against women are not included in the criminal enforcement package, we know that many offenses that are committed against women such as injury, threat, blackmailing and false imprisonment are included in the criminal enforcement law," said attorney Sevinç Hocaoğlulları from Ankara Bar Association.

She accused the government of risking women's lives with the legislation and said warnings by women's organizations were not taken into account.

"They should have taken precautions. While the law was being discussed in the parliament, women's organizations made warnings about the measures that should be taken.

"No statement was made as to any measures taken for women who were threatened by releases. On the contrary, as you know, HSK [Council of Judges and Prosecutors] has made a decision that would make the implementation of Law No. 6284 ineffective."

Hocaoğulları suggested that the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services and the Ministry of Interior should work in coordination with women's organizations to prevent male violence and that women who might be in danger must be informed.

A bigger concern than the epidemic

"Our clients who have been subjected to violence by the released men have been on their toes for days," said Arzu Aydoğan from İstanbul Bar Association.

Women have been left helpless with an overnight decision as they were not informed in advance, she said. "Even if she wants to go to a shelter, the shelter requests a corona test. So, she is left without anywhere to go with an overnight amnesty."

"If she didn't watch TV or doesn't use social media, she may see the man who was violent with her at the doorstep. Can you imagine the shock she will experience?

"First of all, violent people should have been exempted from the release. If necessary, prison conditions could be arranged or these people could have been moved to another sterile environment."

The prison release law has become a bigger concern for women than the virus, she said.

"Women are left alone with perpetrators of violence"

Begüm Tekin, another attorney from İstanbul Bar Association, said that they have been receiving calls from women who were asking whether there was a regulation regarding perpetrators of violence of women.

"Women in danger should be informed immediately and measures should be taken at the highest level," she said.

Noting that violence on women has already increased during the pandemic, she said it was "horrible" to leave women alone with the perpetrators of violence on women.

She said that the provisions of the İstanbul Convention must be effectively implemented to prevent further incidents of violence. (EMK/VK)