Feminists object to Dina's indictment: 'A single defendant is unacceptable'

The indictment of Gabonese university student Jeannah Dinabongho Ibouanga, whose lifeless body was found in the Filyos River on the Zonguldak-Karabük road on March 26, 2023 has been accepted.

It was determined that Dina escaped from the 55-year-old Dursun A.'s car following a sexual assault, and as a result of A.'s persistent pursuit, Dina fell into the river.

A., who had photos of black women on his phone, stated in his testimony that he had a preference for "black women."

With the indictment accepted by the Karabük Heavy Penal Court, a lawsuit has been initiated against Dursun A. for "intentional homicide" with aggravated life imprisonment and "sexual abuse" with a prison sentence of up to 15 years demanded.

First hearing will be held on November 8

Examinations of Dina's phone revealed conversations with her mother where she mentioned receiving sexual advances regarding her missing phone, expressing her unwillingness to stay in Karabük, and messages suggesting that her life would be in danger if she stayed. However, the indictment states that no evidence of meetings with individuals threatening or coercing her into a sexual encounter was found.

It has been noted that no charges were filed against 7 individuals who were detained in connection with the murder.

The sole defendant, A., will appear before the Karabük Heavy Penal Court on Wednesday, November 8.

Feminists going to Karabük to attend the trial

In response to the call made by the Dina for Feminists group, a group of women from different parts of Turkey is heading to Karabük to attend the trial.

Feminists made a statement before the trial, saying:

"In a country like Turkey where femicides, sexual assaults, and child abuse are rampant, where protective and preventive measures are not taken, where perpetrators are not properly prosecuted, and where unjust provocation reductions and impunity are rewarded, we are well aware of how male violence intensifies when it concerns a young, non-Turkish-speaking immigrant woman like Dina. Therefore, we are following this case to ensure that all the perpetrators responsible for Dina's death are brought to light and punished, and to shed light on the truth."

*After Dina's parents decided to have women follow this case and empowered feminist lawyers, we traveled to Karabük.

*As a result of the connections we established in the small city of Karabük, we found that the Turkish government settles young university students paying the high fees it determines to three cities in total. This situation, which could be referred to as "foreign student tourism," has become the primary source of livelihood for these three cities. We also learned that the number of students from other countries, primarily from Africa, at Karabük University has reached 8,000, forming a significant portion of the student body.

*Immigrant students who come to Turkey for education, the majority of whom are children of low-income families, are struggling to make ends meet in the economic crisis conditions in Turkey.

*In Karabük, almost everyone talks about a "prostitution ring" that coerces university students, especially young black women, into prostitution, with men from different parts of the country coming to Karabük for this purpose. Some students are also said to be collaborating with these rings.

*Based on this information and impressions, it is crucial to shed light on what transpired in the apartment where Dina was that night, to determine the identity of the man or men that, according to witness accounts, Dina tried to escape from by screaming in the basement of the building, why Dina went down to this basement or was taken there, and what necessitated her nearly barefoot escape by jumping over garden walls, as reported in the media, and finally getting into Dursun A.'s car. All of these events raise concerns that Dina might have been forced into a situation she did not want, and perhaps panicked and fled due to potential coercion into a sexual encounter in that basement.

*Due to the confidentiality order in place since the beginning of the investigation, we have been unable to access any documents, especially witness statements, apart from the autopsy reports. Therefore, we hoped for an effective investigation to be conducted by the prosecutor, with all evidence meticulously evaluated to prepare a comprehensive indictment.

"No effective investigation"

*In the end, an indictment was prepared, and with the commencement of the prosecution stage, the confidentiality order in the case file was lifted. However, the documents we have access to neither dispel our questions and concerns nor provide satisfactory answers. The indictment only charges the suspect, Dursun A., who drove the car that Dina got into after escaping from the apartment, with the offenses of "intentional homicide" under Article 81/1 of the Turkish Penal Code and "attempted sexual abuse" under Article 103/1. Therefore, what transpired in the early part of the night, why Dina desperately ran away and got into the car, and why, as per the statement of the suspect, suddenly opened the car door and wanted to get out, and whether there is any connection between the two incidents, all remain uncertain.

*As for the other suspects, no charges were filed against them, without an effective investigation being conducted, without the obvious contradictions in suspect and witness statements being clarified, with witness identifications related to the suspects being disregarded and without any sense being made of the relationships between the suspects. The decision of non-prosecution was therefore made hastily, and this indictment, which was hastily prepared and built around a single suspect with incomplete investigation, is not acceptable to us.

*We continue to fight to ensure that Dina's death is elucidated and all perpetrators are brought to justice.

"Suspicious deaths are political"

*As we have stated since the day we started following this case, we see the truth behind Dina's death, and we know that male violence is behind suspected cases of women's deaths. Immigrant women are being killed due to patriarchy and racism, and these murders are not isolated incidents.

 *The deaths of Jesca Nankabirwa, who was thrown from a window after being subjected to rape in İstanbul, Emani El Rahmun, who was subjected to rape and killed in Sakarya, Violet Nantaba, who was subjected to rape and murdered, Beatrice Babirye, whose brother was subjected to male violence and was deported before her treatment was completed, Nadira Kadirova, who lost her life in the house of Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP Şirin Ünal, Yeldana Kaharman, who experienced a sexual assault by AKP MP Tolga Ağar, filed a complaint, and was found dead at her home, and today, Jeannah Danys Dinabongho Ibouanga's death in Karabük exposes the systematic nature of male violence against immigrant women. We say that the "suspicious deaths" of immigrant women subjected to racism, sexism, exploitation, and layered male violence, are political.

*Dina for Feminists, as a trial monitoring group, invites journalists to follow this case, report on our demand for justice for Dina, and attend the first trial scheduled for November 8, 2023, at 11:45 am at Karabük Courthouse.

*We hear Dina's voice, and we are raising feminist solidarity!

(EMK/PE)