Prosecutor seeks 3.5 years for police officer who beat women in Turkey's İzmir

İZMİR

A prosecutor in the Aegean province of İzmir has sought up to 3.5 years of imprisonment for a police officer who is accused of hitting two women who sought help from the police earlier this summer. 

İzmir Public Prosecutor Nurettin Ulutaş sought jail time for officer O.Y. in an indictment prepared on Sept. 20, for “deliberately injuring” and “defaming” two young women who asked for help, after allegedly being harassed by men on a motorcycle. 

Video footage depicting the officer battering the two women was broadcasted on social media on Aug. 10.
The women stated they approached the police officer to file a complaint about the people on a motorcycle who had harassed them.

The women said O.Y. had acted violently towards them after telling them “their outfit legitimized harassment.”

The police officer defended himself in his preliminary statement, saying he did not hit the woman, but only approached one of them to cover her mouth and made her go on the ground to handcuff her.