According to reports compiled by bianet from local and national newspapers, news websites, and agencies, men killed at least 26 women and one child in May.
Additionally, men inflicted violence on at least 68 women, abused at least 50 children, and harassed 10 women. They also forced 277 women into sex work.
bianet is Monitoring Male Violence
Suspicious deaths: At least 27 women and 21 children were reported dead under suspicious circumstances.
Suspicious deaths of women in May
Ankara (1), Antalya (1), Bilecik (1), Burdur (1), Bursa (2), Çorum (2), Denizli (1), Diyarbakır (2), Isparta (1), İstanbul (2), Kocaeli (1), Konya (1), Mardin (1), Ordu (1), Trabzon (1), Yalova (1), Zonguldak (1), Kilis (1), Diyarbakır (2), Bitlis (1), Urfa (1), İzmir (1), Kırklareli (1)
Suspicious deaths of children in May
Aksaray (1), Ankara (1), Antalya (1), Aydın (2), Diyarbakır (1), Hatay (1), İstanbul (2), Kayseri (1), Kırşehir (1), Kocaeli (1), Mardin (2), Maraş (2), Tekirdağ (2), Trabzon (1), Urfa (2)
2025–2022 Male Violence Data
In the first five months of 2025, men killed 131 women, harassed 70 women, abused 122 children, inflicted violence on 261 women, and raped four women. Men forced at least 563 women into prostitution. The deaths of 178 women were reported in the press as "suspicious," and men killed at least 26 children.
In the first five months of 2024, men killed 159 women, harassed 28 women, abused 71 children, inflicted violence on 214 women, and raped six women. Men forced at least 178 women into prostitution. The deaths of 120 women were reported as "suspicious," and men killed at least 18 children.
In the first five months of 2023, men killed 127 women, harassed 20 women, abused 47 children, inflicted violence on 295 women, and raped six women. Men forced at least 132 women into prostitution. The deaths of 95 women were reported as "suspicious," and men killed 13 children.
In the first five months of 2022, men killed 131 women, harassed 45 women, abused 105 children, inflicted violence on 302 women, and raped 15 women. Men forced at least 327 women into prostitution. In the same period, the deaths of 91 women were reported as "suspicious," and men killed at least 15 children.
Homicide
In May, men killed at least 26 women – compared to 40 in the same month last year.
Men killed at least six women despite protection orders. One of the victims was Syrian.
Names of the women killed in April
Adalet M., Aysel S., Asiye B., Bahar Aksu, Deniz Karakaya, Dilruba Elif Çetin, Diyana M., Elmas Ç., Eser Karaca, Esengül Kaya, Fatma Y., Gülseren Kurtman, Hatice Ç., Hatice Yalman, Hatun Ç., Kadriye Abak, Kudret Polat, Neriman Onur, Nura Zemzem, Rana Çavuş Gökçin, Safiye D., Saliha K., Şevval Çiftçi, Yeter A., Yonca Çavuş, Zeynep Z.
Provinces where men killed women
Adana (3), Amasya (1), Ankara (2), Antep (1), Balıkesir (2), Çanakkale (1), Giresun (2), Iğdır (2), İstanbul (3), Kastamonu (1), Kırklareli (1), Konya (1), Maraş (1), Osmaniye (2), Tokat (2), Yozgat (1)
Men killed 12 women because they wanted to break up or refused to reconcile. Motives for killing 13 women were not reported.
16 women were killed by husbands or boyfriends; seven by male family members (father, son, etc.); two by neighbors or landlords; one by her son-in-law.
16 women were killed inside the home, 10 outside.
Men used firearms on 17 women, sharp objects on seven, strangled one, and beat another to death.
Legal process
There were at least 32 perpetrators. Four committed suicide, 22 were arrested, two detained, and four fled.
Child homicide
In May, men killed one child – same as May last year. Details about the killer or how the child was murdered were not published.
Provinces where children were killed
Sivas (1)
Names of children killed
Melisa Ş.
Legal process
One perpetrator was detained.
Harassment
In May, men harassed at least 16 women—compared to four last May. One victim was a trans woman.
One woman was harassed at home; 15 in public spaces such as prison, streets, avenues.
Perpetrators included two neighbors, one academic, one teacher, and prison guards. Identity of 11 perpetrators was not published.
Provinces where women were harassed
Denizli (5), Hatay (3), İstanbul (1), İzmir (2), Kocaeli (1), Mardin (1), Mersin (1), Sakarya (1), Samsun (1)
Legal process
There were 10 male perpetrators: two arrested, one prosecuted, one fled, four under investigation, one released under judicial control, and one with an unknown legal status.
Child abuse
In May, men abused at least 50 children – compared to 29 last year.
Seven children were abused at home; 43 in external places like religious schools.
At least 28 children were abused by teachers, one by a male relative, and identity of at least 21 perpetrators was unknown.
Provinces where children were abused
Batman (1), Bolu (1), Denizli (11), Erzurum (1), İstanbul (19), Kocaeli (1), Mersin (11), Sakarya (1), Samsun (2), Tokat (1), Zonguldak (1)
Legal process
There were at least 16 perpetrators: eight arrested, one detained, two investigated, one released, and four with unclear legal outcomes.
Sexual assault/rape
In May, one woman was raped – none were reported in May last year.
The perpetrator was a schoolmate.
Province where the rape occurred
Eskişehir (1)
Legal process
The perpetrator was released under judicial control.
Violence/Injury
Men injured at least 68 women in May – up from 56 last year. Some perpetrators were police officers.
At least two women were hospitalized.
46 women were injured by partners, two by neighbors, one by a taxi driver, one by a coworker. Perpetrator identity was unknown in at least 18 cases.
16 women were injured for rejecting reconciliation or separation. No reason was reported for 52 injuries.
49 women were injured at home, 17 outside, two locations unknown.
Methods: 55 beaten, six shot, five stabbed, two burned.
Provinces where women were injured
Adana (1), Aksaray (1), Ankara (1), Antalya (2), Antep (1), Burdur (2), Bursa (2), Diyarbakır (1), Edirne (22), Elazığ (1), Gümüşhane (1), Karaman (1), Kayseri (1), Kocaeli (1), Konya (1), Kütahya (1), Kırklareli (1), Muğla (2), Nevşehir (5), Samsun (1), Sivas (1), Tekirdağ (1), Urfa (1), Uşak (1), İstanbul (15), İzmir (1)
Legal process
There were at least 62 perpetrators: eight arrested, 36 under investigation, one under judicial control, six detained, one prosecuted, and legal status of 10 was unknown.
Forced prostitution
In May, men forced at least 277 women into prostitution – up from 34 last year. Some victims were children.
Provinces where women were forced into prostitution
Adıyaman (7), Afyon (12), Burdur (6), Diyarbakır (6), Edirne (23), Erzurum (8), Iğdır (107), İstanbul (8), Kocaeli (7), Konya (74), Nevşehir (13), Tekirdağ (6)
Legal process
There were 108 perpetrators: 59 arrested, 46 detained, one released under judicial control, and two placed under house arrest.
Explanation
bianet Male Violence Monitoring Report only covers women who lost their lives as a result of male violence reported in the press.
We do not include any violence cases or crimes that are not gender-based.
Throughout the year, we keep track of unidentified murders and suspicious deaths of women in separate monthly tallies but do not add them to the number presented in the headline.
At the end of the year, we examine these cases of unidentified murders and suspicious deaths to determine whether the crimes were gender-based. We add the gender-based incidents into the report.
We do not include any murders in the reports that are committed by people with psychological disorders (such as murders committed by people with schizophrenia).
We include suicide or suicide attempt incidents in the tally only if the woman was subjected to violence/ systematic violence in her past. We cover these suicide incidents in a separate category and do not add suicide cases to the number presented in the headline.
In addition, we don't include femicide cases that occur in a mass murder in which the woman was not directly targeted under the condition that the debated incident is not gender based either.
Occupations of the offenders only included in the reports when the incident of violence is related to the occupation of the offender. For example, "Woman was murdered at home by his husband, who is a professional soldier."
(EMK/DT)
