Turkish officials defend themselves in ‘overheight girl’ case

ERZURUM

Officials defended themselves on Oct. 10 in the case of a 24-year-old woman from eastern Turkey who said she was “thrown out on the street” by her stepfather due to her height. 

Serap Demir from the Erzurum province told local media on Oct. 9 that she suffered from acromegaly, a rare hormonal condition that results from an excess amount of growth hormone in the body.

“My mother married another man when my biological father was sent to prison after a conviction. My stepfather kicked me out of the house and now I live in the streets. Due to my height, no one will employ me either,” Demir was quoted as saying.

The homeless woman added that she lives in the entrances of hospitals. “My family does not look after me and I have nowhere to go,” she added, pleeing for the authorities to help her find an apartment and work.

Provincial Health Department Director Mahmut Uçar organized a press conference in Oct. 10 to defend local officials.

“We cannot share all the details about Serap’s medical condition due to privacy laws but I can say that she can be treated. She is the one who has refused our efforts to help her,” Uçar said.

The official also added that the state has provided more than 52,000 Turkish Liras to the family since 2011 to help Demir and her two brothers, who are disabled.

“We called her again yesterday [Oct. 9] and she repeated that she does not want help from our institutions,” he said.

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