Raped minor allegedly denied abortion in southeastern Turkey

DIYABAKIR - Doğan News Agency

Hürriyet photo

Details from an ongoing court case in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır have emerged revealing details of the ordeal suffered by a 20-year-old girl allegedly raped by six men, four of whom were village guards, who subsequently endured mistreatment at the hands of government officials, according to Doğan news agency.

The girl, identified as Z.M., was raped by six men four years ago and subsequently gave birth to a baby fathered by one of the suspects, paternity tests proved during the course of the trial. The first incident of rape occurred at the school she was attending, where she was allegedly forcibly locked in the school by one of the village guards, who later threatened to expose the rape to her parents.

A hospital janitor, three other village guards, a villager and one local driver also allegedly raped the victim, all threatening to tell her parents and her friends. She was also allegedly sexually abused by a gendarmerie official and another village guard.

Soon after Z.M. became aware of the pregnancy, she filed a complaint against the alleged rapists. Social services officials, however, allegedly drugged her and attempted to force her to sign a document, she told the court during trial. She also requested an abortion to end the unwanted pregnancy, which she was reportedly denied by officials.

They applied pressure on her to force her to change her mind about the complaints, Z.M. said, and refused to take her to the prosecutor.

The baby, fathered by the hospital janitor, was taken under state protection following the delivery, Doğan news agency reported. Z.M had married during the course of the trial, but was rejected by her husband when the news of the rape broke out.

A court delegation refused the arrest of the suspects at the end of the trial, and postponed the hearing to an undefined later date. The six suspects charged with rape face 15 years in jail, while sexual abuse charges may land two other suspects in jail for a two-year term.