Ministry returns Parliamentary question on male violence due to ‘hurtful remarks’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Batman MP Feleknas Uca addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül regarding the release of Specialist Sergeant Musa O., who drove İpek Er to suicide after sexually assaulting her in Batman province.

However, the Parliamentary question of the MP has not been accepted and returned to her due to "hurtful remarks."

Parliamentary question of Feleknas Uca

Submitted by the MP before İpek Er lost her life at hospital, the following question by Uca has been found "hurtful":

"After a girl named İ.E. attempted to take her own life with a gun in the district of Beşirli in Batman, it was understood that he was subjected to the rape of Specialist Sergeant Musa O. After the incident was heard, Musa O. was detained. Following his deposition at the prosecutor's office, he was referred to the Siirt Penal Judgeship of Peace on Duty to be arrested on charge of 'aggravated sexual assault.'

"The Penal Judgeship of Peace ruled that Musa O. should be released with an international travel ban and judicial control measures. While the treatment of İ.E. is still ongoing in hospital, her doctors have said that she can be paralyzed by 80 percent. According to doctors' accounts, her internal organs have been smashed and seriously damaged and her kidneys are swollen. It has been indicated that İ.E. is still struggling for her life on a ventilator.

"In his deposition in the file with a confidentiality order, Specialist Sergeant Musa O. claimed that he did not have any sexual intercourse with İ.E. However, the rape is obvious in both the letter penned by İ.E. and the report prepared by the Forensic Medicine Insititution.

"Rejecting the sexual assault, O. was also asked about the forensic medical report in his deposition at the prosecutor's office. It has been learned that he said 'he was drunk' when he met İ.E. in Siirt. The perpetrator has still not been arrested despite all calls and efforts of lawyers and women. It has been indicated that the previous complaints submitted to the gendarmerie and prosecutor's office against M.O. were not processed.

"While the crime of abuse committed by Musa O., who caused İ.E. to try to take her own life and struggle for her life facing the risk of being paralyzed, is obvious in the evidence and the forensic medical report, what is the reason for his release?

"Was the defense of the perpetrator of rape about 'being drunk' effective in deciding for his release? What is the reason for the failure to process the complaint of İ.E.'s family? Has an investigation been launched against the responsible person or persons?

"Considering that a perpetrator of rape has been released in such a period when the cases of rape, harassment and violence against women and children are so frequent, will this release not lead to a further increase in the number of such crimes? Will impunity not encourage delinquent people?

"How will women and children be protected from violence and abuse so long as perpetrators of rape are released? Do you have a method to ensure this? Are the crimes of abuse recently committed by Specialist Sergeants in Kurdish-majority provinces a coincidence? Are abuses committed in Kurdish provinces overlooked?"

What happened?

Living in the Beşiri district of Turkey's southeastern province of Batman, İpek E. appealed to the Siirt Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on July 7 and filed a criminal complaint against specialist sergeant Musa O. Indicating that he raped her, E. gave a detailed deposition to the prosecutor.

On July 16, she left a letter and attempted to claim her life with a gun. She was taken to the Batman Regional Hospital. İpek E. was seriously wounded when she was hospitalized. After being treated there for 34 days, İpek E. lost her life at the hospital on August 18, 2020.

Musa O. was detained as part of the investigation on July 16. He was referred to court with a request for his arrest; however, he was then released on probation. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office objected to this ruling, but it was not accepted. An indictment was prepared on July 27.

The indictment was returned due to missing points. The prosecutor's office objected to this decision as well. With this objection accepted, the office demanded Musa O.'s arrest again with this indictment. Amid social media outrage, Musa O. was arrested and sent to prison.

His attorneys objected to his arrest and the Siirt 2nd Heavy Penal Court accepted the objection. Musa O. was released on August 25.

On August 31, the Ministry of Interior announced that Specialist Sergeant Musa O. was discharged from the Gendarmerie General Command. (EMK/SD)