35 women killed in September in Turkey

ISTANBUL

A total of 35 women were killed in September and 44 others were subjected to sexual violence, according to a report released by the Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu, a women’s rights activist organization that keeps track of violence against women. 

Violence against women and murders have been on the rise and a total of 15 children were abused in September, the report also said.

“Women continue to be killed by the people closest to them when they want to make decisions regarding their own lives,” the report said, adding that 59 percent of the murders in September were carried out by women’s husbands, boyfriends and relatives. 

“Women are being killed because they are not protected,” the report also said, criticizing measures to protect women from violence in Turkey. 

The report also said three hate crimes were committed in September.

According to the report, which was prepared using news reports and notices the organization received from the victims or their relatives, the number of murdered women reached 237 in the first nine months of 2016. 
The statistics in the report showed that of the 35 women killed in September, 43 percent were killed for unknown reasons, 34 percent were murdered for taking decisions regarding their own lives, 11 percent were killed for ending their relationships, 9 percent were killed for seeking a divorce and 3 percent were killed for economic reasons. 

“Women can make decisions regarding their own lives, they should be able to do so and the result of it shouldn’t be them being murdered,” the report said. 

Forty percent of the women were killed by unknown assailants, 23 percent were killed by their husbands, 11 percent were killed by their former boyfriends, 9 percent were killed by their former husbands, 9 percent were murdered by a relative or someone they knew and 6 percent were killed by their current boyfriends. 

The organization could not determine the relationship status of 37 percent of the murdered women. According to the report, 26 percent of them were single and 37 percent were married. 

While 12 percent of the murdered women were of undetermined aged, the platform said 47 percent were above the age of 36, 26 percent were between the ages of 25 and 35 and 15 percent were between 18 and 25. 

A total of 35 children were left without a mother as a result of the murders. 

In addition, the report said women were repeatedly subjected to torture before being murdered. 

“Women are being killed by beating, beheading, burning, shooting and torture,” the report said, adding that 35 percent of the murdered women in September were killed by weapons and 29 percent were killed by sharp objects. 

The report stressed that violence against women, child sexual abuse and sexual violence has been on the rise. According to the organization, a total of 303 women were murdered in 2015, higher than the number in 2013, which was 237.