This is how men torture women

Yasemin lives in Yozgat. She was adopted when she was a baby. She got married when she was 22, very much in love. Six months into her marriage, when she was six-months pregnant, her husband beat her for the first time. After her daughter was born, the violence escalated.

“He poured hot tea on me. He beat me with an iron,” Yasemin said. She wanted a divorce but her husband told her that he wouldn’t leave her alone. During her second pregnancy he stopped beating her, assuming that the child would be a boy. After the birth, he started again. He hung her from the ceiling with a rope. He took her down at the last minute but kept beating her. He broke an umbrella while beating her on the street. Other forms of violence and torture continued. 

On one occasion the police took Yasemin to her mother’s house. Her husband followed, broke down the doors, and stabbed Yasemin. He was sentenced to four years in jail but he only served 20 months. Yasemin got a divorce while he was in jail. 

But he continued to threaten her. Yasemin filed complaints but she was given the same answer every time: We can’t do anything until he commits a crime. 

Yasemin’s 70-year-old father was stabbed and killed on his way to the mosque by the ex-husband, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail. He served eight years before he was transferred to an open prison. He continued his threats from there. He was able to take one week of leave every three months while in that jail and he threatened and harassed Yasemin on those weeks. She asked the authorities to warn her about when he would be on leave but nobody paid attention. Yasemin started calculating the days he was due to be on leave; when the time approached, she would stock up food at home and not leave the house. 

One time, when he was in front of her house, their 14-year-old son went down to him, afraid that he would harm his mother. They got into a fight and the ex-husband was injured. The 14-year-old boy now faces jail because he tried to protect his mother from his cruel father. 

The police asked Yasemin why she was so concerned about a man who was already serving a jail sentence. The same police officer told her on her last visit that they could not provide 24-hour protection to her. “There are so many women like you. If we assigned a police officer to everybody, we wouldn’t have enough staff left. Everyone should protect themselves,” he said. Yasemin told him then she would get herself a gun. The police officer said “As you wish.” 

Yasemin’s ex-husband’s jail term is due to end in June 2017. This man has been sentenced so many times and is still serving time – although he is in an open prison. He continues to threaten the woman whose father he murdered, as well as other family members. He has turned her life into hell. The security forces and prosecutors are just watching.

This country is full of stories like this.

The state cannot protect women. 

I am calling on the Ministry of Family and Social Policies. Yasemin is now a potential murder victim. Do something to protect her.