Prosecutor Demands Aggravated Life Sentence for the Man Who Killed Trans Woman

* Photo: Kaos GL

Click to read the article in Turkish

Put on trial for murdering transgender woman Gökçe Saygı in Antalya, defendant Şahin Yalçın had his fourth hearing at the Antalya 3rd Heavy Penal Court yesterday (February 17).

While defendant Saygı and his attorney stood before the judge, the hearing was also followed by representatives from the Human Rights Association (İHD), Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), Antalya Women's Platform and BİZ Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Research Association.

The forensic medical report documenting the mental health of the defendant was read out at the hearing. The defendant and his attorney objected to the report and repeated their requests for acquittal.

Next hearing on March 16

Considering the report issued by the Forensic Medicine Institute and the current stage of the trial, the court board rejected the request for acquittal.

The prosecutor's office announced its opinion as to the accusations and demanded aggravated life sentence for defendant Şahin Yalçın on charge of "deliberate murder." The attorney of the defendant requested time to prepare their defense as to the accusations.

The court board has adjourned the hearing to March 16 so that the defendant and his attorney could prepare their statements of defense.

What happened?

Trans woman Gökçe Saygı was killed in the district of Muratpaşa in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Antalya on May 13, 2019.

After the shouts coming from her apartment stopped, the neighbors of Saygı called an ambulance. Paramedic teams and police officers were referred to the scene of incident. Neighbors informed them that the cries were coming from the house of Saygı on the first floor.

Police found the deceased body of the trans woman when they entered her house. It was seen that the murder suspect stabbed her to death for several times. Şahin Yalçın has been arrested by the court. (EMK/SD)