Men Killed 257 Women in 2011

Most of the slain women in Turkey in 2011 were killed by their husbands. Rapes were mostly committed by the women's boy-friends. The majority of sexual harassment incidents involved men not known by the women. Rapes predominantly happened at home.

According to data compiled by bianet, male perpetrators killed 257 women in Turkey in 2011, 32 men, 14 children and two babies. At least 102 women and 59 girls were raped.

Eleven women were killed and three were severely injured despite the fact that they had requested protection, filed complaints at the prosecutor's office or the police or found accommodation at women shelters.

In 2010, 217 women and three children were killed by men and a total of at least 207 women and girls were raped.

The data collected by bianet reflects the incidents that were reported in the news. However, thanks to the determined fight of women against violence, cases of male violence made the news more frequently particularly in the second half of the year. Related news 'advanced' from page three to the headlines.

Many excuses were put forward for the violence inflicted on women. Reasons included the woman's wish to separate from the partner or having been declined by a woman. The reasons given for violence point to the men's feeling of dominance.

The most frequent excuses given for the use of violence were "honour", jealousy, paranoia, the woman leaving the house for good and divorce cases. Sometimes even a bad dream served as a reason for violence. During the fasting month of Ramadan it happened that men beat or killed their wives with kitchen utensils because the food did not have enough salt or it was not prepared on time.

Both the perpetrators and the victims come from all age groups and professions.

257 women murdered

Male culprits killed 257 women, 32 men, 14 children and two babies in 2011 in Turkey. Most of the murders were committed in February and between June and September.

In 2011, a considerable number of men committed suicide or attempted to kill themselves after they had killed a woman. When more cases of male violence made the headlines, attention was also drawn to applied reductions of punishment to the perpetrators. The number men who surrendered to the police after the offence increased.

The majority of slain women was killed by their husbands. The weapons most frequently used were fire arms.

* 33 of the male culprits committed suicide after the offence; 13 attempted to kill themselves; 18 surrendered to the police.

* The highest number of women murders in 2011 was reported for Istanbul followed by Izmir and Adana.

* Considering the cases with identified perpetrators, 112 women were killed by their husbands, 23 by their boy-friends, 20 by their former husbands, twelve by their boy-friends or older brothers, ten by their sons or son-in law, eight by men who had been rejected by the victims, six by other relatives and five women were killed by thieves.

* Fire guns were the weapons most frequently used by the men in 2011. 115 men used fire arms, 82 a knife, eight strangled the women, four beat them to death, one man killed a woman by setting her on fire. Three women died when they tried to escape from men: two fell out of a window and one was hit by a bus.

* In 2010, male culprits killed at least 217 women and three children.

State not able to provide sufficient protection

In 2011, eleven women were killed and three were severely injured by males despite the fact that they had requested protection, filed complaints at the prosecutor's office or the police or found accommodation at women shelters.

Sometimes, the request for protection was rejected because the women were not married to the men they complained about. Sometimes, women were killed because of a lack of sufficient precautions.

* Two women were killed by their husbands between June and December 2011 although they were under protection.

* Several women were killed after they had filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office: two women were murdered by their former husbands, one by her former boy-friend, one by a man she had declined.

* One woman was killed by her husband on the way from the women's shelter to work; two women by their husbands who took them out of the shelter; two women were killed after they had returned home from the shelter.

* Four women whose requests for protection had been dismissed were severely injured with weapons by their husbands. One woman was stabbed by her husband inside the women's shelter. The requests for protection of two women was rejected because they were not married to the men they complained about and another request for protection was turned down because nobody bore witness of the violence.

102 women and 59 children raped

The least reported incidents of violence against women in 2011 were cases of rape. Nevertheless, newspapers reported rape cases of 102 women and 59 girls.

The rapes were mostly committed by men the women were acquainted with. The majority of molesters were the women's boy-friends, followed by husbands, former husbands, friends of their husbands, colleagues, fathers and other relatives.

Most of the rape cases happened at home. Several women and girls were forced into prostitution. Both the victims and perpetrators were of all ages.

One woman who was raped and on father who had raped his daughter committed suicide.

* As far as rape cases are concerned where the molesters were identified, 45 women were raped by acquaintances, 39 by men they did not know. Seven women were forced into sex work. Eight women were raped by thieves.

* 51 women were raped at home, 22in the street, 17 after having been abducted and ten women at their work places.

* 25 girls were raped by men they knew, 22 girls by men they had not seen before. Eleven girls were forced into sex work.

* 22 girls were raped after abduction, 14 at home and eight in the street.

* From July to December 2011, nine women were raped by their boy-friends, eight by their husbands, five by their friends, five by their colleagues, five by their fathers, two by their former husbands, two by their former boy-friends, two by friends of their husbands.

* In 2010, 207 cases of rape of women and girls were reported in the papers.

220 women wounded

At least 220 women were injured by men in 2011. The most cases of violence/injuries were reported for the month of August.

The perpetrators in this context were mostly husbands. The reason for the violent treatment put forward most frequently was the woman's wish to divorce.

* 132 women were wounded by their husbands. 30 of them had a divorce case pending or prepared to open one.

* 26 women were injured by their present or former boy-friends;19 by their former husbands, 18 by men they were not acquainted with, eleven women were wounded by their sons or son-in-law, five by their colleagues, four by their fathers, three by their brothers and two by other relatives.

* Within the five months from August to December, 96 women were beaten, 34 women were injured with cutting tools and 13 were wounded with fire amrs.

* In 2010, 164 women were reportedly wounded by men.

167 women experienced harassment

In 2011, a minimum of 167 women experienced harassment and/or sexual violence as far as reflected in the papers. These incidents happened in many different places such as at home, in the street, in hospital, at a bus stop, at a car park, in shops or saunas.

The majority of harassment offences was committed by men not known by the women, followed by bosses, colleagues, friends of husbands, the father-in-law and boy-friends.

* According to the news, at least 381 women and girls experienced harassment in 2011.

Most cases of violence reported for Istanbul

The majority of cases of violence against women, murder, attempted murder, rape, harassment, injury and child abuse that made the news in 2011 were reported for the Marmara region.

The most cases of violence were reported for Istanbul, followed by Adana, Antalya and Izmir.

* Between the beginning of June and the end of 2011, 154 related incidents were reported for the Marmara region; 118 for the Mediterranean region; 79 for the Aegean coast; 72 for Central Anatolia; 66 for the Black Sea region 27 in Eastern Anatolia and 32 in South-Eastern Anatolia. These numbers refer to the cases reported in newspapers, on internet sites and by news agencies.

* From the beginning of 2011 till the end of the year, 65 cases of violence against women were reported for Istanbul; 55 for Adana; 38 for Antalya; 35 for Izmir; 30 for Bursa and 29 for Ankara.

* In 2010, the majority of killings and injuries was reported for Istanbul and Adana. (ÇT/VK)