Turkish family ministry takes part in alleged rape case of Polish traveler

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

The Turkish Family and Social Policies Ministry has become involved in the legal case of a Polish travel writer who was allegedly raped during a trip in Istanbul after walking all the way from Georgia.

“Our ministry’s legal consultancy department is involved in the case of alleged rape of Polish travel writer, A.P., in Çatalca. Our legal consultancy took part in the case in favor of A.P. with the authority given to it by Law No. 6284. It will follow the case to the very end,” the ministry said on its Twitter account today.

The ministry also wrote on Twitter that it had taken part in U.S. tourist Sarai Sierra’s murder case and in the case of another foreign woman who was subjected to domestic violence.

A.P. was allegedly raped during a trip in Istanbul’s Çatalca district after walking all the way from Georgia, according to daily Milliyet’s report.

The woman, who is writing about her walking experiences on her trips, encountered a man on the road who offered to buy her lunch at a nearby restaurant, only for him to allegedly kidnap her and forcibly take her into a forested area, according to her testimony.

Gendarmerie forces found the woman at the crime scene but the assailant had escaped. The man was found and detained after a two-day search by security forces.

The man, İ.B., alleged in his testimony that he and A.P. agreed that he would pay 200 Turkish Liras for sex, but a report from the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute said the intercourse showed the hallmarks of rape. İ.B. was subsequently arrested.