Did you say justice for everyone?

It was the year of 2011. G.K. was a first year student in law school when she was raped. After she was threatened and her psychology disrupted, she was only able to gain courage to complain two years later. 
Her case ended in 2015. Two doctors’ reports from Istanbul University Çapa Forensic Medicine and İnönü University Forensic Medicine both stated that G.K.’s psychological health was permanently damaged in association with the sexual assault. The prosecutor also demanded penalty for the defendant. Despite this, the defendant was acquitted. The file is now with the Supreme Court of Appeals. 

Despite two medical reports in favor of her, the court sent G.K. to the Institution of Forensic Medicine. According to its report, G.K.’s psychology was not disrupted even though she was undergoing psychiatric treatment for three years, and was on more than one medication. The report concluded that her psychological condition was only “affected,” and not disrupted, and that this could have been caused by other reasons, not necessarily the rape. 

“The meaning of this report was this for me: The fact that I was on medication for three years, I was having nightmares at nights, my nervous breakdowns, my shivering and being left out of breath in court were all insignificant. It was as if the nightmare I lived for three years was not real,” she said. 

The acquittal was devastating for G.K. While the case was ongoing, she finished law school and became a lawyer. She is now 26 years old. She is not practicing her profession because somethings had died in her after the acquittal; mostly the sense of justice. 

She said she went through the insults of the defendant’s lawyers during the trials, and the judges allowed this, the humiliating attitude of the head of the panel of judges to her and her mother, the scolding of the lawyers, the lying of all witnesses including her cousin, all, just to observe that justice was going to be served.  
The doctor who was the head of the 6th specialized board of the Institution of Forensic Medicine at that time was Hamdi Tutkun and was the one who examined G.K. He is now under arrest for being a member of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and for issuing a fake report. 

One other doctor, Lütfi İlhan Yargıç, who signed G.K.’s report, is also under arrest for being a part of FETÖ. Yet another doctor, Salih Zoroğlu, has an indictment launched against him. 

When G.K. learned these, she filed a complaint against these doctors for issuing an “untrue report” against her, and was an act of misconduct. 

However, the Office of Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor decided on non-prosecution without taking G.K. or any other suspects’ statements or doing any other research. G.K.’s objection to this decision was rejected at the speed of light, the same day it was before the judge. 

This young woman, while attending law faculty has learned in a very harsh way that theory and practice do not overlap. 

“Our state is taking the fight against FETÖ very seriously but when the matter is sexual assault, they did not even look into the case of doctors who are being tried on charges of being a member of FETÖ. In order to protect the reputation of the Institution of Forensic Medicine, they were able to cover up my case,” she said.
 
But she has not given up; she will not give up. When she feels she is fit to take up her profession, she plans to legally assist abused women and children. “The more I searched for justice, the more I had to watch how injustice was protected behind secret doors. I cannot take it anymore. Even if justice is not done for me, I will publicize the case so it is heard,” she said.