Facing aggravated life sentence for killing Duygu Delen, man acquitted

* Photo: csgorselarsiv.org/Serra Akçan

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The court has handed down its ruling regarding the death of 17-year-old Duygu Delen, who fell from the balcony of the house of defendant Mehmet K. in Antep. The court has ruled for his acquittal and release.

Arrested pending trial for murder, defendant Mehmet K. was facing aggravated life sentence on charge of "deliberate killing of a child". At the previous hearings, the defendant had said, "I trust your justice."

The 10th and final hearing of the case was held at the Gaziantep 10th High Criminal Court today (March 4). Attending the hearing from the Gaziantep Prison, where he was arrested pending trial, via video conference, defendant Mehmet K. said that he had not killed Duygu Delen. The Public Prosecutor reiterated that K. be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment.

As reported by daily Evrensel, the lawyers of Delen family said that after K. battered Duygu Delen, he took her to the balcony while she was fainted and threw her from the 4th floor. Noting that he committed the crime of murder, they demanded his penalization in the severest way possible.

The lawyers of the defendant, on the other hand, argued that the reports issued by the Supreme Board of the Forensic Medicine Institution and other experts overlap with what their client said. They demanded acquittal.

Defendant has been fined

Hearing the statements of both sides, the court board handed down its ruling after the recess. The court has ruled that arrested defendant Mehmet K. should be acquitted of "wilful killing of a child" and "sexual abuse". K. has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charge of "plunder in residence" and a judicial fine of 1,800 lira on charge of "insult".

Considering that he had served 18 months behind bars, the court board has ruled that the defendant shall be released.

What happened?

Duygu Delen suspiciously died by falling off the house of a man named Mehmet K. (20) in Antep on August 13, 2020. She was 17 years old.

Her friends said that Delen did not commit suicide and that Mehmet K. was responsible for her death. Mehmet K. was detained. He said that "they had a row and Duygu Delen jumped off the window herself."

Mehmet K. was arrested on charges of "sexual abuse of the child" and "wilful murder" on August 14. It was also understood that he drove while he was drunk and caused the death of a woman before.

The bill of indictment prepared by the Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecutor's Office demanded that Mehmet K. be penalized on charges of "wilful killing of a child" as well as "aggravated sexual abuse of a child", "insult" and "plunder in residence." He was facing aggravated life imprisonment and prison sentences on the offenses charged. (EMK)