Lawyer of Rabia Naz’s Family: Developments are Presented as Favors

Speaking about the investigation launched against police officers who examined the scene of incident where 11-year-old Rabia Naz suspiciously died, lawyer Kılıç said, “Someone has to explain to me why the prosecutor’s office has waited so long.”

Ayşegül Özbek

Lawyer of Rabia Naz’s Family: Developments are Presented as Favors

* Photograph: Women's Assemblies / Twitter

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As part of the investigation launched into the suspicious death of 11-year-old Rabia Naz Vatan in Eynesil, Giresun on April 13, 2018, an investigation has been launched against the police officers who conducted an examination at the scene of incident where Rabia Naz allegedly lost her life. It has also been ruled that 60 witnesses shall be heard again.

Speaking to bianet about the latest developments, Emel Bodur Kılıç, the attorney of the Vatan family, has underlined that the criminal complaint against the police officers was filed on July 4, 2018 and the request for hearing the witnesses again was made in November 2018. Bodur Kılıç has asked, "Why did the Prosecutor's Office wait during that time?"

Stating that "the developments are presented as favors by disregarding the requests raised by the family months ago," she has said, "Someone has to explain to me why the prosecutor's office waited for 6-7 months."

'That child did not go up to that roof'

As reported in the news, legal authorities have stated that it is not very likely that Rabia Naz Vatan lost her life by committing suicide. Regarding these news, attorney Emel Bodur Kılıç has said,

"We, as the family and attorneys of the family, have never used the word 'suicide' to refer to her death. Unfortunately, the police and law enforcement agencies tried to make it look like a suicide and close the file. We have never used the word 'suicide' anyway.

"Now, it is asked in a rather milder tone, 'Did the child fall from the roof?' We never accept it. Because that child never go up to that roof."

'Verdict given for the father is a scandal'

On April 10, 2019, the Giresun Penal Court of Peace ruled that Şaban Vatan, the father of Rabia Naz who has been striving to solve her daughter's suspicious death, shall be hospitalized in Samsun Mental Health Institution to determine whether he is mentally sound or not.

Regarding the verdict of the court, attorney Bodur Kılıç has stated,

"The ruling given by the Giresun Penal Court of Peace is the final verdict. To me, this verdict is nothing but a strangeness of the law, a scandal. It is an attempt to silence the father.

"But, there is another thing that they forget: This child has a mother as well. Let's say that the father is hospitalized in a mental institution... Then, will the mother be isolated, too? Someone has to explain it."

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

On April 10, the Giresun Penal Court of Peace has ruled that Şaban Vatan shall be hospitalized in Samsun Mental Health Institution to determine whether he is mentally sound or not. Vatan has referred to the verdict as "a downright injustice."

(AÖ/SD)

Ayşegül Özbek

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