Men kill at least 284 women in 2020

* Infograph/Graphs: Yağmur Karagöz

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

According to the recent data compiled by bianet from the news reported in the local, national and online press in Turkey in the period of January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020, men killed at least 284 women in 2020.

Taken together with the feminicides committed in previous years, but reported in the press in 2020, the number of women killed by men is 305.

In the same period (January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020), men killed 26 children, raped 96 women, forced 818 women to sex work, harassed 147 women and abused 265 children.

Men inflicted violence on at least 792 women in 2020; the deaths of at least 255 women, among whom were also trans women, were reported in the news as "suspicious" in 2020.

CLICK - All bianet male violence monitoring reports

CLICK - Methodology of bianet male violence monitoring reports

Men killed 1,920 women in the last 6 years

Men attempted to kill at least nine women and threatened 20 women with death in 2020. The deaths of at least 10 women, among whom were also trans women, were reported in the news as incidents of "suicide", "pushed into suicide" and "suspicious suicide."

According to the news reported in the press, men killed at least 18 women despite "protection", "restraining" orders and "requests."

At least eight male perpetrators killed women after they had "left prison on leave" or they had been "released" from prison thanks to the law on criminal execution amended due to the pandemic.

In 2020, at least 10 women used their right of self-defense to protect themselves from the men inflicting violence, sexually assaulting them.

Feminicide/Murder

Men killed at least 284 women and 26 children, including migrants, in 2020. Men also killed at least 25 men who were with the women during the feminicides. 12 women killed by men were not from Turkey. One of them was a trans woman from Moldova (April 2020).

Where did men kill women?

Men killed almost half of the women inside the house.

Men killed 138 women inside the house and 86 women in places outside the house such as office, hospital, woods, traffic and car park. The places where men killed 60 women were not reported in the press.

Who killed women?

Over half of the women, 65 percent of them, were killed by the men in their closest proximity, such as husbands and boyfriends.

Some feminicides were committed by more than one male perpetrator.

In 2020, 185 women were killed by their husbands, fiances, ex-husbands and boyfriends.

56 women were killed by their family members such as fathers, sons, grandchildren and son-in-laws, 22 women by their neighbors and friends.

Eight women were killed by men such as a courier worker who came to a woman's house for food delivery, an estate agent who showed her around a house, a burglar who broke into her house or a mechanic who came to her house. The acquaintance degree of at least 25 men who killed women was not reported in the press.

Among the male perpetrators who killed women were also two non-commissioned officers, one police officer, one village guard and a mayor of the city (Ordu in the Black Sea region) where she lived.

How did men kill women?

Men killed over half of the women, 57 percent of them, with firearms.

Men killed 167 women with firearms and 75 women with sharp objects such as knives and axes. In 2020, men strangled 14 women, battered five women to death and killed seven women by poisoning them, burning them or crashing their heads with a stone. The methods of killing in 16 feminicides were not reported in the press.

Under what 'pretext' did men kill women?

Men killed one out of every five women because they wanted to break up.

The "pretexts" of men for killing 176 women were not reported in the press. Men killed 54 women because women "did not accept their marriage proposal", "did not want reconciliation", "wanted to divorce."

While men killed 22 women "out of jealousy", they killed eight women under "economic" pretexts, six women for "burglary" and "robbery."

Men killed 17 women under the pretexts of "having a boyfriend", "being involved in a land dispute", "being angry", "refusing to go on a visit during the pandemic", "not cooking" or "not taking good care of children". The excuse of the men who killed one woman was "honor."

Child murders

According to the updated data compiled by bianet from the news reported in the local, national and online press in Turkey in the one-year period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, men killed at least 26 children in 2020 under such pretexts as hurting or taking revenge on the women whom they inflicted violence on.

Among the children killed by men were also babies. One of the killed children was from Afghanistan and two were from Syria. One of the children killed by men was forced to marry at a young age.

Who killed children?

14 children were killed by their fathers/step fathers, one child was killed by her ex-boyfriend, two children were killed by their elder brothers, two children were killed by their mother, one child was killed by her husband whom she had been forced to marry at a young age, one child was killed by the manager of the workplace. The acquaintance degree of the perpetrators who killed five children was not reported in the press.

Rape

According to the updated data compiled by bianet from the news reported in the local, national and online press in Turkey in the period of January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020, men raped 96 women.

Seven women raped by men had mental disabilities.

At least two incidents of sexual assault were revealed after it was understood that the women were pregnant.

Men raped eight women systematically. Raping three women, men also robbed them. Two of the women raped by men were from Syria, one woman was from Afghanistan, one woman was from the United Kingdom (UK), one woman from the Ivory Coast and one woman was from Russia.

Who raped women?

There were more than one perpetrator in at least five cases.

11 women were raped by their husbands, boyfriends, ex-husbands, eight women were raped by their colleagues and managers, five women were by their relatives, seven women were by shop owners, two women by their neighbors, two women by their fathers, three women by caregivers and doctors, one woman by an academic and three women were raped by three men who introduced themselves as religious officials. At least 54 women were raped by 60 male strangers.

Where did men rape women?

Men raped 23 women inside the house and 42 women in public places such as universities, law bureaus, streets, parks and woods. The places where men raped 31 women were not reported in the news.

Harassment

In 2020, men harassed at least 147 women. One of the women harassed by men was from China, one from Morocco and one from Azerbaijan. One of the harassments was systematic. Among the men who harassed women were TV series actors, academics and political party members.

Who harassed women?

51 women were harassed by 104 male strangers. Nine women were harassed by their colleagues and managers. At least 82 women were harassed by 93 men such as academics, TV series actors, police officers, therapists and courier workers. Five women were harassed by their neighbors.

How did men harass women?

Men harassed 114 women verbally and physically, harassed seven women by masturbating in front of them and 17 women on social media. Men harassed nine women by showing them their sex organs.

Child abuse

Men abused at least 265 children in 2020, including boys.

Who abused children?

Five children were abused by doctors, 25 by shopkeepers such as grocery and supermarket owners, two children by three specialist sergeants, 36 children by their relatives, 14 children by their neighbors, 13 by imams, religious officials and sect leaders. One child was abused by her "husband" with whom she was forced into marriage and one by a man who was alleged to be her boyfriend.

CLICK - All Male Violence Monitoring Reports from 2009 to 2020 

Where did men abuse children?

Men abused 42 children in schools, school buses and around schools. Men abused at least 80 children outside (streets, grocery stores, hospitals, forests, parks) and 36 children at home. The places where men abused 101 children were not reported in the press. Men abused six children on social media.

Violence/injury

Men inflicted violence on at least 792 women in 2020. Men seriously wounded 54 women. 28 of the women who were subjected to violence from men were not citizens of Turkey (Syria, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine).

At least three of the women who were subjected to violence from men were transgender.

Men inflicted violence on at least 56 women by violating "protection" and "restraining" orders. In at least 32 incidents, the violence was systematic.

Who inflicted violence on women?

The degree of acquaintance between 168 women and the men who inflicted violence on them was not reported in the news. At least 521 women were subjected to violence from their husbands, boyfriends, ex-husbands and ex-boyfriends.

Forced sex work

Men forced at least 818 women to sex work in 2020. Children below 18 were also along those who were forced to sex work. 435 of the women who were forced to sex work were from Turkey and 365 were not.

(EMK/SD-VK)