Eleven year jail time given to park assailant

ISTANBUL

A man received an 11-year prison sentence for assaulting a psychiatrist with a broken bottle in Istanbul’s busy Maçka Park, an incident that caused a wave of nationwide anger in 2020.

Serving in a public hospital as a health professional in the Turkish metropolis, Süleyman Dönmezler was attacked by a passerby while walking with two of his colleagues in Maçka Park last year.

Taken to a hospital in a critical condition following the medical interventions at the crime scene, Dönmezler underwent a grueling four-hour surgery and eventually survived.

The assailant, who attacked the psychiatrist from behind with a broken bottle, Emrah Danışman, was detained following a police operation and later arrested by a local court.

The incident ignited a public debate when it was revealed that it occurred following a “catcall” of the assailant, which then turned into a bloody attack after Dönmezler told him to go away.

Both the accused and the victim attended the hearing held at the Istanbul 38th High Criminal Court.

“I would not have been alive today in case I had failed to receive timely first aid on my bleeding wounds. Presumably, the defendant left me because he thought I would be dead,” Dönmezler said at the session.

In his part, the defendant expressed regret for the incident and apologized to the victim.

The court sentenced Dönmezler to life imprisonment for “attempted to kill deliberately,” but later reduced his jail time to 11 years since the nature of the offense falls in the category of “attempted crime.”