22 on trial for ‘violence in care center’ in Eskişehir

ESKİŞEHİR

The family of a mentally disabled man, who allegedly had bruises on his body and a broken hip while he was staying in a special disability care center in Eskişehir in 2018, has filed a lawsuit against 22 employees at the center, including the caregiver, health personnel and the director of the institution.

Ömer Serdaroğlu placed his son, Selim Serdaroğlu, who was 78 percent mentally disabled, in a special mental disability care center in the Seyitgazi district in August 2017. Next year, he filed a complaint to the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming that the disability of his son had increased to 90 percent at the end of eight months and that he was transferred to the hospital 12 days after he sustained bruises and a hip fracture.

A prison sentence of three months to one year was requested for a total of 22 defendants on the charge of “inflicting injury by negligence.”

Selim Serdaroğlu, treated for a while after his hip surgery, passed away in November 2020.

The indictment prepared in 2020 said the security camera recordings dated April 26, 2018, showed that Selim Serdaroğlu was able to walk alone without assistance but had difficulty walking about one hour after entering a bedroom and that the staff held him by his arms and legs at different times and went to his room.