Sibel’s legal struggle pays off, Mutlu E. arrested

* Photo: Evrim Kepenek / bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish

Having "sexually assaulted" Sibel Y. and "forced her to sex work" in Milas, Muğla, Mutlu E. has been arrested a year after the incident.

Since the incident happened, Sibel Y. has worked almost like a prosecutor, collecting evidence and sharing it with the police.

Speaking to bianet about the arrest of the man, Sibel Y. has said that "she is shedding tears of happiness" as Mutlu E. is finally arrested:

"I have been seeking justice for a year now. I have been demanding that Mutlu E., who sexually assaulted me and forced me to do sex work, be put on trial and arrested. He is finally arrested after a full year.

"We have been crying as a family for the past year. We have suffered a lot. My health and psychology have been totally ruined. The wounds in my body have not yet healed. My hair will not grow again. Irrecoverable wounds have been diagnosed in my psychology. But the moment we heard that he was arrested, we, as a family, shed tears of joy.

'I didn't step back despite threats'

"I was battered at the Security Directorate, I was detained. They threatened me, but I did not take a step back from the case. They said, 'If you attend the hearing, we will kill you.' But I still cried for joy after 11 months. I think it will be better from now on. I have waited for this for so long, we have struggled together. It has turned out that there are other aggrieved women.

'There are other aggrieved women'

"There are other women threatened by Mutlu E. I am calling out to them: Don't be afraid and get in touch with us. Family Ministry has got involved in this case, too. We are no longer in a position to be afraid. All women are on our side. Don't be afraid, contact us and speak at court.

"Everyone is telling me, 'This is your fight, you have won it.' In fact, it is not the case. It was the fight of us all. All of us took the first step to win; if he is penalized, then, we will win. I am faced with a criminal organization. I want them all to be put on trial and penalized."

What happened?

As reported by bianet on November 17, 2020, Sibel Y. announced that Mutlu E., who lives in Milas in Muğla province and whom she met for a job interview on March 3, abducted, tortured and sexually assaulted her. The man also reportedly forced Sibel Y. to do sex work.

After she escaped from Mutlu E., Sibel Y. applied to legal authorities as she wanted him to be penalized for what he had done to her. Almost like a prosecutor, she collected evidence, found voice records and looked for camera footage. She also tried to make her voice heard on social media under the hashtag "Sibel'in sessiz çığlığı" (the silent cry of Sibel).

After the issue was reported in the press, her struggle for justice has borne fruit as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs brought it to the Parliamentary agenda and the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services provided her with protection.

According to the Forensic Medical Institution Report prepared by the Muğla Training and Research Hospital, it has been confirmed that Sibel was subjected to torture, sexual assault and battery.

The conclusion of the report has emphasized that Sibel's sexual inviolability was violated, adding that the attacks of Mutlu E. "caused Sibel Y.'s health and perception ability to be harmed to such an extent that such harm cannot be eliminated with a simple medical intervention." (EMK/SD)