Attorney: Court released military officer charged with rape because 'intercourse was consensual'

İpek E.'s mother (Photo: Medya Üren / Jin News)

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Specialist sergeant Musa O., who allegedly raped İpek E. (18) in the southeastern province of Batman and eventually caused her death by driving her to suicide, was released from prison last night (August 25).

An attorney of İpek's family, İlyas Tarım, revealed that one of the reasons for his release was that "the sexual intercourse was consensual."

İpek had attempted suicide on July 16 after being raped and lost his life on August 18 at the hospital where she was treated. Following her death, a social media campaign was launched for the arrest of Musa O., which led the Siirt 1st Heavy Penal Court to issue an arrest warrant against him on August 19.

After an appeal by his attorney, the military officer was released by the Siirt 2nd Heavy Penal Court (appeals court) after staying behind bars for one week. The court stated that there was no suspicion of running away regarding the defendant.

"In this unlawful situation, the court exceeded its authority," Tarım told the Mesopotamia Agency (MA). While the appeals court had to send the release order to the 1st Heavy Penal Court, it issued the release order directly to the prison administration, he explained.

He also noted that the Forensic Medicine Institution report stated that İpek was sexually assaulted and she said in her statement that she was "on the brink of suicide" because of being raped.

Following Musa O.'s release, another campaign has started on Twitter for his arrest.

Ministry will file a complaint against press outlets

The Ministry of Interior today (August 26) released a statement about the incident, saying that it will take legal action against TELE 1 TV and "press outlets in relation to the terrorist organization," which it said slandered Minister Süleyman Soylu and state institutions.

Soylu previously told the pro-government daily Hürriyet that he trusted the judiciary and that "some circles" constantly discuss the issue to cover up what a Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members did. 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Feleknas Uca said today they understood after Soylu's statement that Musa O. would be released soon.

The Ministry also stated that Musa O. was suspended from duty on July 16 and it has no authority to interfere with the administrative and legal investigations. It also noted that İpek E.'s brother is also a police officer and offered condolences.

(EMK/VK)