‘The insults they hurled were apparently just “rude words”’

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Working as a laboratory assistant at the Haseki Training and Research Hospital in İstanbul, Mir Tajdin Kaşbaş was attacked by a patient and a patient relative two years ago. The first hearing of the lawsuit filed upon his complaint was held yesterday (November 12).

Patient N.Y. and patient relative K.K., who attempted to attack Kaşbaş and insulted him, have been acquitted of the offense charged.

In the opinion as to the accusations, the prosecutor claimed that asking Kaşbaş "Are you a human?" did not constitute the crime of "insult" and this sentence could be defined as a "rude remark." Referring to the attempted attack on Kaşbaş, the prosecutor's opinion indicated that "the defendants had not intended to damage public property."

Mir Tajdin Kaşbaş, also an executive from the Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES) Aksaray Branch, has spoken to bianet.

"If I had not entered the cabin and closed the door, I would have been subjected to violence," Kaşbaş said: "The prosecutor said that the attempted attack was not intended as a damage to public property. Should I have died or had my head and eyes smashed so that it could be considered a crime?"

Kaşbaş has emphasized that "health workers are very vulnerable to attacks because patients know that they are not protected in any way at all."

"They act by being encouraged by this," he has protested.

'They hurled insults'

Kaşbaş has shared the following information about the incident:

"The doctor had referred the patient to the laboratory so that samples could be taken for urine analysis. I saw them waiting in front of the counter where I was. 'How can I help you,' I asked them. They answered that they would give samples for the urine analysis. I told them that they first needed to get a barcode and a urine container from the blood-taking department.

"They said that the doctor had referred them to the area where I was and refused to go to the blood-taking department. I repeated it a few times that they had to go to the blood-taking department. While the patient was leaving in response to this, the other one started hurling insults.

'They would have inflicted harm if not closed'

"While the other one was throwing insults, I tried to close the window. While s/he was trying to prevent me from closing the window, the glass shattered. Hearing the voices, the patient came and started hurling insults as well. They tried to attack me. If I had not closed the window and the door, they would have inflicted physical harm on me.

"I activated the code white [for emergency]. The police who came to the scene of the incident took the persons to the police station. My colleague and I went there by our own means without any security precautions taken, gave our statements, filed a complaint and a lawsuit was filed."

'Court was indifferent to violence'

Referring to the first and final hearing of the case held yesterday, Kaşbaş has noted that the lawsuit was filed over a damage to public property and the prosecutor almost found him "guilty". Kaşbaş has said:

"The prosecutor announced an opinion as to the accusations that would legitimize the violence against health workers. According to the prosecutor, the insults they hurled were apparently just 'rude words' and they did not break the window jamb on purpose. The prosecutor was indifferent to the insults to health workers who had been subjected to violence. As for the judge, the judge has acquitted the defendants.

"Neither the Ministry of Health, nor the courts or the laws passed by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) protect health workers." (RT/SD)