In March this year, a woman with the initials T.Ş. applied for protection from her husband to the Public Police Centre of Çorlu (west of Istanbul). Police officer G.B. sexually harassed her at the police station. The third hearing of the according trial was now held before the Çorlu 2nd Magistrate Criminal Court.
The court decided to punish the defendant on the grounds of sexual harassment as stipulated in Article 105 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK). The penalty was increased because the same offence was committed against the woman several times. Yet, the sentenced was reduced afterwards due to good conduct of the defendant.
The trial resulted in the sentence of police officer G.B. to a monetary fine of TL 2,500 (€ 1,200).
Lawyer Eren Keskin from the Legal Aid Bureau against Sexual Harassment and Rape in Custody assessed the decision for bianet. The lawyer said that the degree of penalty was very low for this kind of offence. On the other hand, Keskin stressed the importance of the decision regarding the fact that a police officer was sentenced on the grounds of sexual harassment.
"This decision reveals once more that the penalties stipulated in the TCK related to violence against women are insufficient. Harassment does not only cause a trauma for the woman when she experiences it but also later on. But the price for all the experienced traumata can be paid with TL 2,500, according to the law. This is an utterly grave situation".
Keskin continued, "The mitigation of punishment for good conduct applied by the court is unacceptable. The defendant committed this offence by using his authority as a policeman. Moreover, his statements made at the hearings contained threats and insult especially directed at me. These points are reason for criticism".
"In any case, it is important that a police officer was punished because of sexual harassment even though the penalty is very low. In our opinion, the TCK should be amended".
Women on guard again
A group of women issued a press release in front of the court house during the final hearing. Ayşe Akıncı, member of the permanent assembly of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), read, "The message 'You are a man, show your power' has an effect on the male world in many aspects and at the same time encourages men to sexual violence. The whole bitterness of the appliances of violence in a male-dominated system is being applied to women".
"Armed forces of the state that are equipped with the authority to use legal force apply this approved authority against women in a careless way. The whole country witnessed how three police officers applied violence to Fevziye Cengiz at the Izmir Karabağlar Police Station in July".
"Dozens of women are being exposed to male violence every day; they are being killed under brutal circumstances. Women who seek protection from the state become the target of sexual harassment by police forces. Related criminal complaints are either not being processed or gather dust at the shelves of the prosecutor's office. The umbrella of legal protection does not protect the women who experienced violence but the ones who commit related offences".
"We are calling on the members of the judiciary and the ruling persons. It is not enough to dismiss police chief G.B., we want him to be punished. We want the entire impunity related to violence against women to stop". (ÇT/VK)
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