Families Accuse Police For Torturing Their Kids

Families of the high school children who were tortured in the police station turn to the Association of Human Rights. They report the crime and the Public Prosecutor starts an investigation.

Bia news servıce - İzmir

13 Mayıs 2008, Salı

Tolga KORKUT

Today in İzmir, the families of 17 year old D.Ö. V.Ö. and 15 year old K.K. reported a crime, implicating the police for torturing their kids while they were detained in the police station.

In a press release in the Güzeltepe neighborhood of Çigli in İzmir, political parties and formations demanded closing down of Şehit Erdal Kılıç police station, dismissal from office and punishment of the responsible police officers and the chief of police of Çiğli.

The Aegean region representative of the Association of Human Rights Necla Şengöl, with whom Bianet met, said that they would pursue the case, that they directed the children to Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) for rehabilitation and that the detention process was full of irregularities.

Detention in multiple stations night long

According to the report by Erkan Çınar in daily Birgün, on May 8 the three children were taken inside the station forcefully and were beaten for more than an hour. Their heads were banged on the walls, their testicles were kicked and they were chocked. They were not allowed to see their families. Later they were sent to Çiğli Police Department and from there to the Department of Public Order. When they were taken to Egekent State Hospital, ice was put on their swellings and bruises.

In the meantime, their families were looking for them, visiting various police stations. The children could not meet with a public prosecutor until the next day at 15:00.

When the Public Prosecutor realizes the torture

According to the information supplied by the İzmir branch of the Association of Human Rights (İHH) to which the families turned, the police claimed that the children banged their heads to the fire extinguishers themselves. Not believing the official report, asking the children if they were the cause of the blows on their backs and testicles as well, Karşıyaka Chief Public Prosecutor sent them to the medical jurisprudence, starting the investigation.

Şengöl: Many irregularities

Not yet seen the report of the Medical Jurisprudence, Şengöl said that the detention procedure was full of irregularities to cover up the traces of the torture:

“The children were not taken to a doctor when they were taken into custody. Although the police officers should have taken them to the department of juvenile crimes, they instead visited three centers and only then, right before the children met with the public prosecutor, they took them to the juvenile department.”

“There was a police officer present during the doctor’s examination at the termination of detention. He must not have been present. This particular doctor’s report determines the traces of the blows. The children were not allowed to see their families. They were not given painkillers. They were taken to the public prosecutor’s office hours later.”

“Coercion on High School Students is increasing”

K.K.’s father K.K., who spoke at the press release (May 12) given today at Güzeltepe, where mostly poor Kurds of Alevi belief live, said “The people of this neighborhood struggle against poverty, they suffer under great burden, they make their money through their hard work. Humiliating and despising us and our children, trying to intimidate, to scare us through tortures, beatings will hurt this country.”

At the press release, political parties and organizations such as Halkevleri, ÖDP, SDP, EMEP, ESP, İHD and Revolutionary High School Students (Dev-Lis) were present as well.

Şengöl said that recently, especially before and after May Day (May 1), the police coercion targeting the İzmir high school students has increased. There have been offers to make them police informants and plain threats. (TK/GG/TB)

Erkan Çınar contributed to this report. Photo: Erkan Çınar.

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