Court Rules That Father of Rabia Naz Shall be Hospitalized in Mental Institution

The Giresun Penal Court of Peace has ruled that Şaban Vatan, who has been campaigning to solve the suspicious death of his 11-year-old daughter Rabia Naz, shall be hospitalized in a mental institution to check whether he has his mental faculties.

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Court Rules That Father of Rabia Naz Shall be Hospitalized in Mental Institution

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The Giresun Penal Court of Peace has ruled that Şaban Vatan, who has been striving to solve the suspicious death of his 11-year-old daughter Rabia Naz Vatan, shall be examined in a mental health institution to determine whether he is mentally sound or not.

Emel Vatan, the attorney of Şaban Vatan, has shared the verdict of the court on Twitter. Rejecting the objections of attorney Vatan, the court has ruled that the father shall be hospitalized in Samsun Mental Health Institution. Denouncing the verdict, Şaban Vatan has said, "It is downright injustice."

Based on the statement of Şaban Vatan's brother Muhammet Vatan, who alleged that "his brother does not have his mental faculties," the court has requested that Şaban Vatan be referred to a mental institution.

On March 22, 2019, Şaban Vatan spoke to bianet regarding the Prosecutor's Office which referred him to a psychiatrist for a mental health check. Vatan stated that when he was taken to the Giresun State Hospital, the doctor who treated him said, 'You stayed in this hospital.' In his interview to bianet, Vatan underlined that "he has never stayed in that hospital."

Psychiatric Association: There must be strong suspicion to keep someone under observation

Releasing a written statement about the issue on March 26, the Psychiatric Association of Turkey (TPD) underlined that "the question of whether someone needs to be taken under observation or not is in itself a subject of expert examination."

Referring to the Article 74 of the Law on Criminal Courts, the TPD further stated that "in order for someone to be taken under observation, there needs to be strong evidence suggesting that the person committed an offence and the judicial authorities have to consider whether the mental health issue of the defendant had any impact on the committal of the offense."

What happened?

Rabia Naz Vatan was found injured in front of her home in Eynesil, Giresun on April 13, 2018. While the police records said that the girl committed suicide by jumping from the terrace of her family's home, her father claimed that she was killed.

"A car hit my daughter but the hit was not strong enough to result in her death. Those who hit Rabia Naz then brought her near my house to make the incident look like my daughter committed suicide. My daughter lost her life because of blood loss," he said.

Vatan said that the person who hit her daughter by a car was the nephew of Eynesil Mayor Coşkun Somuncuoğlu, according to the information he obtained.

Vatan also claimed that the case was covered up after the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Giresun MP Nurettin Canikli intervened in.

Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu met with Vatan in February on the killing of his daughter. He told bianet after that the meeting took 10 minutes.

Giresun Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said on Mach 20 that the Görele Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is currently conducting the investigation into the incident and the search for evidence is still continuing.

On March 21, Şaban Vatan was taken into custody upon the complaint of his brother and referred to a mental institution for a mental health check. Father Vatan was then released from detention the next day, on March 22.

On March 26, father Vatan deposed at the security directorate upon the criminal complaint of AKP MP Nurettin Canikli

(AÖ/SD)