Suspect who kicked woman on Istanbul bus for wearing shorts to undergo mental check

Aziz Özem – ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on Dec. 21 ordered a suspect who injured a young woman on a public bus after kicking her for wearing shorts to undergo a mental examination at a forensic institution to determine if health issues played a role in the assault. 

The judge in the case of the assault against Ayşegül Terzi ordered suspect Abdullah Çakıroğlu to be tested for a maximum of three weeks at a forensic institution so that the court could determine whether he has a mental disorder that might have played a role in his actions. Çakıroğlu also claimed that he had mental disorders and that his assault was triggered by a disorder.

The judge added that if the suspect did not attend appointments with the forensic institution, the court would issue a warrant against him. 

Meanwhile, Terzi’s lawyer demanded the suspect’s arrest, but the court refused the request.

Neither Terzi nor Çakıroğlu were present at the second hearing of the case. Asked why the suspect had not appeared, Çakıroğlu’s lawyer, Şemsi Dak, said his client could not go out in public and that it was unsafe for him to appear at hearings. Given the situation, Çakıroğlu has gone to the Black Sea province of Trabzon, Dak added.

The judge advised the suspect to attend the trials, saying his absence would be regarded as an indication that he is a flight risk.

Terzi, a nurse, was kicked in the face and injured on Sept. 12 on a public bus in Istanbul by Çakıroğlu.

Injured after the assault, Terzi filed criminal complaints against Çakıroğlu and he was briefly arrested before a court ruled to release him. Upon public outrage over his release, he was re-arrested and stood in the dock for his initial hearing that took place at an Istanbul court on Oct. 26. The court then adjourned the trial while ordering Çakıroğlu’s release.