Statute of Limitations Suspended in Case of 15-Year-Old's Killing

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Prosecutors have suspended the statute of limitations in the case of the killing of Çağla Tuğaltay (15) in İstanbul in 2000.

In the 20-year-long investigation, the DNA examinations and taking statements of possible perpetrators are still underway, therefore the statute of limitations have been suspended, the prosecutor's office has announced.

A social media campaign for the continuation of the investigation was launched before the 20th year of the incident.

On June 5, 2000, Çağla left the school and went to her home in Şişli district and was later found dead with her throat slit.

Prosecutors have so far questioned 65 people, including Tuğaltay's boyfriend and elder brother. The downstairs neighbor of her said that s/he heard that someone hit their feet on the ground, so that s/he understood Tuğaltay came home. The neighbor also said that Çağla was chatting with someone as if she was talking to someone she knew.

The perpetrator is a man, according to the analysis of tissue samples found in Tuğaltay's nails.

A few days ago, the prosecutor's office took the statement of the doorkeeper of the apartment building at the time. It sent his blood sample for examination.

If there is no result from this process, there is a possibility that the investigation will drop due to the statute of limitations.

The DNA sample that is considered to belong to the perpetrator, is in the DNA pool of the security directorate and compared with new DNA samples entered to the directorate's database.

"The murderer killed Çağla, washed his hands in the kitchen, and went out. The door was not forced," said Gülnur Tuğaltay, Çağla's mother.

Cengiz Suyabatmaz, the attorney of the family, said that he has a little hope that the perpetrator will be found because of the lack of evidence. (EMK/VK)