34 women killed in October in Turkey: Women’s rights group

ISTANBUL

Thirty-four women were killed in October across Turkey, according to a report by Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu (We Will Stop Femicides Platform), a women’s rights organization that monitors violence against women. 

The number of murders committed against women declined in October compared to the previous month.

While 26 percent of those women were murdered for making decisions regarding their own lives, three percent of the women were murdered for refusing to reunite with their former partners.

Six percent of the women were murdered because they sought divorce, while three percent were killed because they wanted to break up with their partners.

Ten of these women were murdered by their husbands, their relatives or acquaintances.

According to the report, in October two women were killed by their boyfriends and another two by their ex-boyfriends.

One woman was killed by her son-in-law and another one woman was murdered by her son.

Of the 34 victims, 44 percent of the women were between 36 and 65 years old, three percent were older than 66, and 23 percent were between 25 and 35 years old. Three percent were between 12 and 14 years old.

Three percent of those women were under state protection when they were killed, while six percent had courts issued restraining orders against potential assailants.

Twenty-nine percent of those murdered were killed with sharp objects, while 21 percent with fire arms. Nine percent of the female victims were choked to death.

Some 38 percent of those women had children.

Istanbul saw eight reported femicides in October, while the southern province of Adana and western province of Tekirdağ each saw two such violent crimes against women.

Fourteen women were subjected to sexual violence in the month, the rights group also said in the report, adding that the actual figure could however be much higher.

According to data provided by the platform, five of those 14 women suffered from sexual violence at home, while seven others were subjected to sexual violence in public spaces such as streets, hospitals, schools and buses.

One woman was subjected to sexual violence on social media, the group said.

In 2017, a total of 409 women were killed and 387 children sexually abused in Turkey, according to data compiled by the same group.