Turkey’s First Crime Scene Investigation on Animal Murder

A team of judges, soldiers, advocates and NGO representatives held Turkey’s first crime scene investigation regarding the killing of a leopard in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. 

The first trial of the public prosecution that was brought concerning the murder of a leopard in last November and in which the defendants have been trial on 2-5 years of imprisonment demand, was held on Nisan 30at Çınar Criminal Court of First Instance.  The survey request of the animal rights activists from Yeryüzüne Özgürlük Derneği (Freedom to Earth Association) was accepted by the court.

Yesterday, an exploration was conducted within the area where the leopard was killed, with the participation of Judge Ömer Aykut Özdoğan from Çınar Criminal Court of First Instance, the crew from Çınar Gendarmerie Command, the Head of the Department of Anatomy of Dicle University Veterinary School Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kılınç who performed the autopsy of the killed leopard, the Representative of Ankara Bar Association and the Vice President of Animal Rights Committee Att. Burcu Yağcı, and the NGO representatives of Yeryüzüne Özgürlük Derneği (Freedom to Eart), Engelli Hayvanları Koruma ve Hayvan Hakları Derneği (Protecting the Disabled Animals and Animal Rights Association).

During the exploration, the gendarme took security precautions and the press members weren’t allowed to enter the area upon the directives of the judge. The shepherds, who are the defendants of the case, provided a statement regarding how they killed the leopard and how the incident occurred.  

“I didn’t find convincing the statements and the place description of the defendants. We will follow this case to the end” the representative of Ankara Bar Association Att. Burcu Yağcı, who attended to the exploration, said.

“For the first time, the crime scene investigation was performed upon murdering an animal in Turkey. This is a positive development for Turkey. I, myself, saw the place and the area in which the leopard was killed. Contrary to defendants’ statements, there is not any proper place to hide for a predator whose weight and height was measured in autopsy as 90 kg and 2.5 meter respectively. According to the medical report of the shepherd, who claimed that he was attacked by the leopard, he has just two 1-cm scratches on his back. When such a big predator attacks to a human, it is impossible to survive just having a 1-cm scratch.  We believe that the statements of the defendant do not reflect the truth. Killing an animal, especially an endangered animal, should not definitely go unpunished” the president of Engelli Hayvanları Koruma ve Hayvan Hakları Derneği Çağrı Sert who attended to the exploration from Istanbul, declared.

The second trial of the case will be held on June 24, 2014 at Çınar Criminal Court of First Instance. (ÇT/CB/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.