Suspects Remain Jailed in R.Ç. Case

The sixth hearing of R.Ç. case was held in the southwestern province of Diyarbakır with three suspects - R.Ç.’s father and 2 uncles - who were charged with murder of 17 year old family member for being homosexual. Ruling that suspects remained in prison, the court will hear the case again on August 15. 

“No father wants to kill their son. It is a matter of accident,” the advocate of R.Ç.’s father said in the hearing, requesting his client’s release pending trial. Other suspects also made a similar request. 

However, the court ordered the continuation of suspects’ arrest, considering the nature of crime, current evidence, an expertise report on the high suspect of crime and risk that judicial controls systems might be insufficient. 

On the previous hearing, the court panel had changed due to new assignments. The new prosecutor will present his indictment on August 15. 

Father pleaded guilty  

On May 24 R.Ç.’s father pleaded guilty, saying that “I killed him”. He went on saying that he had an argument with his son and shot him accidentally while hitting him with the back of licensed pistol. He later on abandoned his son’s dead body on the road. 

“I am supporting my husband. If I knew he was gay, I would kill him,” R.Ç.’s mother cried in the courtyard after the hearing. (ÇT/BM)