Women Lawyers Prepare Day-to-Day Report on Feminicide of Ayşe Tuba Arslan

* Photo: Yağmur Karagöz/bianet

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Seven women lawyers have prepared a day-to-day report on the feminicide of Ayşe Tuba Arslan in Eskişehir in late 2019.

Yalçın Özalpay, the ex-husband of Ayşe Tuba Arslan, attacked her with a chopping knife. Having struggled for her life for 44 days in intensive care unit, Arslan lost her life on November 24, 2019.

It was soon understood that Arslan was killed despite having filed 23 criminal complaints about the threats and insults of her ex-husband. She also had several protection orders issued by the related authorities.

CLICK - Council of Judges and Prosecutors to Investigate Feminicide of Ayşe Tuba Arslan

Accordingly, women lawyers Pınar Çelik Arpacı, Betül Duman, Neriman Ersin, Fatma Girgin, Funda Güney, Heval Yıldız and Ceren Koçak have prepared a 56-page day-to-day report by examining each one of her case files, verdicts of non-prosecution and protection orders.

Chain of neglects

The report of the lawyers has underlined that "the victim could have been provided with certain precautions such as monitoring systems, an alarm system for her house and workplace or a panic button."

"If these methods had been tried, Ayşe Tuba Arslan could be alive today", the lawyers have emphasized.

Some details from the report are as follows:

14.09.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan went to the Odunpazarı Police Department and informed the police that Yalçın Özalpay insulted her and said, "I will kill you, I will not let you live, I will spill nitric acid on your face, I will set your house on fire, you cannot enter this house."

She requested a protection order as per the Law 6284 on the Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women.

14.09.2018 - When she returned home, she saw that her clothes were cut with scissors and knives, her all personal hygiene and care products such as cosmetics, jewelry, creams, shampoos were thrown to waste by Yalçın Özalpay. (She filed a criminal complaint about this incident on 17.09.2018.)

15.09.2018 - Yalçın Özalpay called his children to reach Ayşe Tuba Arslan. Özalpay kept on insulting her: "You will see, I will make your life miserable, I will kill you, I will not be relieved if I do not kill you." (Arslan filed a criminal complaint about this incident on 17.09.2018.)

16.09.2018 - Yalçın Özalpay came to her house and threw threats and insults at her. (Arslan filed a criminal complaint on 17.08.2019.)

17.08.2019 - Yalçın Özalpay came in front of her house again and threatened Ayşe Tuba Arslan. She called the police and filed a criminal complaint about this incident as well as the incidents that took place on September 14, 15 and 16, 2018.

In the investigation that ensued her criminal complaints, the case file was referred to the conciliation office. As no conciliation could be reached between the parties, a criminal suit was launched against Özalpay at the Eskişehir 9th Penal Court of First Instance. This lawsuit had not yet been concluded by the time of Ayşe Tuba Arslan's passing on 24.11.2019.

18.09.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan filed a divorce lawsuit.

21.09.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan complained about Yalçın Özalpay at the Odunpazarı Police Department. In her deposition, she said, "I have complained about my husband Yalçın before, he does not leave the house despite the restraining order, he caught me on my way to work today. He told me that he wanted to talk to me, otherwise, he would kill me. He told me that he would divorce me from life."

24.09.2019 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan went to the Çarşı Police Department. In her deposition, she said, "I have filed a criminal complaint twice before. There is a restraining order against him, but Yalçın does not leave the house despite the restraining order."

10.10.2019 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan filed a criminal complaint at the Odunpazarı Police Department: "I am in the process of divorce, I have complained about him for many times before, there is an injunction against him given by the family court. He came up against me on Atatürk Avenue at around 6.45 p.m." (The file was referred to the conciliation office. As no conciliation could be reached between the parties, a lawsuit was filed at the Eskişehir 6th Penal Court of First Instance. Özalpay was acquitted in the trial.)

29.10.2018 - He approached her in a cab and insulted her. She filed another criminal complaint. (A decision of non-prosecution was given.)

03.11.2018 - Yalçın Özalpay followed Ayşe Tuba Arslan in a cab, punched the windows of the cab that she was in and insulted her. (Özalpay was penalized on charges of insult and threat over this incident; however, the announcement of the verdict was deferred.)

11.11.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan filed a criminal complaint again: "Today, at around 8.45 a.m., I got off at the gas station bus stop next to Tilla Shopping Mall. Yalçın held me by the arm and asked me what I was doing there. People from the gas station got involved and he waited for me in a white vehicle across the street. Someone from the gas station brought me home." (A lawsuit was filed against him at the Eskişehir 7th Penal Court of First Instance. The defendant was acquitted.)

22.11.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan was at the chief public prosecutor's office again: "This person is constantly following me from a distance. When he sees me alone, he comes to me and disturbs me." (A lawsuit was filed at the Eskişehir 5th Penal Court of First Instance. The file of this case was combined with that of another complaint. The defendant was acquitted.)

14.12.2018 - She filed a criminal complaint at the Çarşı Police Department: "I complain about him because he violated the Law no. 6284.

20.12.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan went to the Çarşı Police Department again: "He intercepted me and insulted me. As I was afraid, I took refuge in school."

27.12.2018 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan filed a criminal complaint at the Odunpazarı Police Department: "Yalçın keeps on showing up despite the protection order. I complain about him as he violated the Law no. 6284."

11.01.2019 - She was at the Odunpazarı Police Department: "While I was working at my workplace, he called me from the numbers (0536...) and (053...) when my phone was off. When I turned on the phone, I received a message from Yalçın Özalpay's company, informing me that he called me. He called me again when I opened my phone, but I did not answer the call as he would insult me." (The file of this complaint was referred to the conciliation office. As no conciliation could be reached between the parties, a lawsuit was filed at the Eskişehir 4th Penal Court of First Instance. This penal suit has not been concluded as Ayşe Tuba Arslan was killed.)

20.01.2019 - Ayşe Tuba Arslan called the 155 police emergency line, telling them that Yalçın Özalpay came in front of her house, shouted and threw insults and slanders at her. (A penal suit was filed at the Eskişehir 8th Penal Court of First Instance. Özalpay was given a judicial fine.)

03.03.2019 - While Ayşe Tuba Arslan was waiting for a bus, Yalçın Özalpay came to her and said, "I will kill you, I will make your life so miserable."

Arslan called her brother for help. Her brother and Özalpay had a quarrel. (A lawsuit was filed against two parties at the Eskişehir 3rd Penal Court of First Instance. However, the case was not concluded.)

25.03.2019 - While Ayşe Tuba Arslan was walking, Yalçın Özalpay came up against her, held her by the throat and arm and threatened her by saying "I will kill you". Ayşe Tuba Arslan filed a criminal complaint on the same day. (A lawsuit was filed at the Eskişehir 7th Penal Court of First Instance. The defendant was acquitted of threat, he was sentenced to pay a judicial fine of 3,000 TRY on charge of causing injury.)

11.10.2019 - Yalçın Özalpay attacked his ex-wife Ayşe Tuba Arslan with a chopper. Arslan could not win her 44-day struggle for life at hospital.

(EMK/SD)