Male spouse having committed acts of torture during marriage will be punished

The 8th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned the acquittal decision of the 36th Primary Criminal Court of Anatolia, which, despite evidence, acquitted the man who systematically tortured his wife for 6 months.

Lawyer Fatma Hoşgör Tekeşin believes that this decision will set a precedent for preventing domestic violence.

According to information provided by Lawyer Hoşgör, the legal battle of the victim, I.P., who suffered deep wounds due to the torture by her husband, began 12 years ago.

The couple, I.Ö and G.Ö divorced due to severe incompatibility in İstanbul. I.P.'s lawyer, Fatma Hoşgör Tekeşin, applied to the Kartal Public Prosecutor's Office in 2012, demanding that the man be prosecuted for the crime of "torture."

The Kartal Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against the male defendant. The crimes of torture and maltreatment as determined by the Erenköy Neuropsychiatry Hospital were also included in the case file. According to the report, the man had tied the woman with duct tape and extinguished cigarettes on her arm. Despite receiving treatment, there were still signs of torture on the woman's body.

The defendant's lawyers made defenses in the 36th Primary Criminal Court of Anatolia, blaming and discrediting the woman during the hearings.

The Court claimed that "there was no evidence to constitute the crime of torture" and acquitted the man in 2016.

The woman's lawyers, Hoşgör Tekeşin and Ergun Cirit, appealed the decision. Lawyer Hoşgör resubmitted reports indicating that the man had tortured the woman, stating that even DNA traces were found on the belt he used to beat her.

The 8th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned the decision of the local court, stating that the man should be punished. According to the decision, the Anatolian 36th Primary Criminal Court should reopen the case file and issue a conviction.

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(EMK/PE)