Refugee woman from Iran: Why is the man who raped me not arrested?

"We stand with survivors of sexual assault" (Photo: csgorselarriv.org/Hale Güzin Kızılaslan)

Click to read the article in Turkish

With her blond hair and blue jeans, she is sitting right in front of me.

As much as I hesitate asking questions, she hesitates talking. She keeps pulling on her cardigan.

Eren Keskin, the co-chair of the Human Rights Association (İHD), I, and a woman from Iran who seeks justice against male violence are in a room.

The question that crossed my mind, "What did this woman, who had to come here to find the education and the future that she couldn't find in Iran, have to endure" cut through the deep silence in the room.

In a moment, she will tell us how her quest for justice after being sexually assaulted by a man named Metin K. ended in the cold walls of the courthouse.

Her first sentence breaks the silence.

"Maybe women's organizations will take action after your news. Maybe they will hear me as well. Maybe judges and prosecutors will read it. Will they?"

Her name is Khatre S.

"I want to leave this country"

She tells; please hear it, and make it heard:

In Iran, I studied at two departments at the same time and got a bachelor's degree.

About two and a half years ago, I came from Iran to Turkey. I was going to study for a master's degree, and a private education institution was making arrangements regarding it.

I didn't want to be idle while waiting for this process, I was doing manicure and pedicure jobs in Iran. I applied to a hairdressing Salon Esenyurt and was accepted.

Other migrant women like me were working there. I started to like my job in a short time.

Men customers would also come to the hairdressing salon. Metin K. was one of them. He would want a massage from me specifically, but I would not accept because I would only massage women.

Over time, he began to chrome more often and disturb me with his looks.

He would say he wanted to marry me. He would follow me after work and insist me to get into his car.

He would say he liked me and he insistently wanted to marry me.

He came to my workplace in May 2021. He would come often because he had close relationships with my boss, so I didn't find it odd.

But this time, he wanted my phone number. He insisted. When my boss said 'Give," I gave my phone number.

He called me about half an hour later and invited me to a restaurant near my workplace.

At first, I didn't want to go. Then he insisted, and I went there. When I went there, there were two other men at the table. These two men introduced themselves as police officers. They insisted me to drink.

A ordered a low-alcohol drink. Then I found myself in the home in ESenyurt. When I woke up, my clothes were torn down. I realized that Metin had raped me.

I fled there, and when I got home, I tried to understand what happened.

The baby...

I was very scared; I was surprised. I went to work, and I told my boss about it. He threatened me. I said I wanted to file a criminal complaint.

Metin K. came. He said, "If you file a complaint, I will kill you."

I don't know what happened but suddenly two men police officers came and said if I filed a criminal complaint, it would have worse consequences for me. They said they would kill my mother. I left my job and went home.

A few weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant. I had to abort the baby.

I filed a criminal complaint with the Büyükçekmece Prosecutor's Office. A lawsuit was filed against Metin K. for "sexual assault."

I was happy that he would finally be sentenced. Meanwhile, my mother learned about the incident. She supported me.

We finally confronted each other at the first hearing at the Bakırköy 16th Heavy Penal Court on March 28. He did not accept any allegations. He said he didn't rape me and the baby in my womb had nothing to do with him.

However, in the DNA report we got before the abortion, it was written that the father was 99 percent Metin K.

The court believed Metin K.'s defense. What I lived through, what I told, were not important at all.

It didn't arrest Metin K. I'm scared, he or his two police friends may hurt me or my mother. This is why I don't want to stay in Turkey.

I want to leave Turkey, where I came to study, as soon as possible because of the seuxal attack and the assailant is not arrested.

I couldn't even find a lawyer. They are all very expensive. They wanted 7,000 lira at least.

I thought Turkey was different from Iran. I thought there was justice in Turkey. Still, I'm looking forward to the next hearing.

He also filed a complaint against me, alleging that I slandered him. How can I accept that? I know he did this to scare me so that I leave here.

I can breathe a sigh of relief only if Metin K. is arrested. The court board should hear me.

Lawyer Keskin: An organized crime

Eren Keskin, the attorney of Khatre S., gave bianet the following information:

"As far as I understand, these are a gang, including police officers. I think her drink was drugged. When she wanted to file a criminal complaint, she was threatened by police officers.

"In their statements, Metin K. and the two men police officers say 'she slept with him for money.' This is not the case. Even if it was, what was done is a crime.

"The reason that the court did not arrest Metin K. is that it is a masculine judicial system. Instead of hearing the voice and accepting her statement of an Iranian woman, it accepts the statements of two men police officers and Metin K. This situation cannot be accepted. The woman says she was aggrieved. He is now on trial without arrest. We demand his immediate arrest."

CLICK - bianet Male Violence Monitoring Reports

(EMK/VK)