In today’s hearing of Petty Officer Hüseyin Güneş Özmen’s trial for murdering his wife, intern doctor Ayşe Yılbaş, at Istanbul’s 4th High Criminal Court, a document showing that the suspect tried to obtain a report for criminal insanity from the Kasımpaşa Military Prison.

Today’s hearing was also postponed since the medical report from the Medical Examiner’s Office about Özmen’s state of mind did not arrive this time either. The next hearing will be on March 13, 2009.

Suspect got hold of a book about schizophrenia

Lawyer Meriç Eyüboğlu, who follows up the trial, told bianet that the Medical Examiner’s Office announced that they were going to meet with the accuses on February 16, 2009.

According to the information given by Eyüboğlu, the report by the prison said, “the accused told people around him about his intention to obtain a report for criminal insanity; he obtained a book about schizophrenia and was trying to make various connections in this direction.” The report ends by saying that the accused was sane and could understand everything.

Previously, Özmen’s lawyer made the claim that his client was not stable mentally when he murdered his wife. The women’s organizations that are trying to become part of the trial had ounteracted the claim by asking how then he could have performed his military duty in this condition.

Lawyer Eyüboğlu’s interpretation is as follows:

“Even if we object the criminal insanity claim, it is the doctors who will eventually decide about the matter. However, the problem is that the Medical Examiner’s Office has not been doing anything. In the third hearing, neither a reason nor any information is coming from the Examiner’s Office. Will they be able to prepare their report quickly after they see the suspect in February? We do not know this, either.”

Reminding that it will be almost a year since Yılbaş was murdered, Eyüboğlu says victim’s family has been victimized as well. “Late justice is no justice. We are still dealing with the Medical Examiner’s Office after a year.”

“He had said “I am going to kill you on a Friday noon”

Yılbaş was killed on February 22 by her husband Petty Officer Özmen, whom she was trying to divorce.

Accused Özmen used to tell his wife that he was going to kill him on a Friday noon.

Özmen had defended himself in his first hearing on May 13 by claiming that he was not in himself at the time of the murder.

In the second hearing on June 12, the judge had refused the demand by the women organization to join the trial on the side of the victim on the grounds that these organizations were not harmed by this incident. (EZÖ/TB)