Turkish Court shames the country with its latest verdict. The Turkish high court of appeals aprrove the Mardin court’s verdict in the rape case, where the victim, a 13 years old girl was raped by 26 men.

Ankara / NationalTurk – In February 2011 the local court in Mardin had reduced the sentences of 26 men charged with rape to unlawful sex with a minor after it concluded the 13-year-old victim was willing and on account of ‘good conduct’ on the part of the accused. The decision on of the most contraversial cases which has lasted 7 years, appeared to place some of the blame for the incidents on the victim herself.

While the men involved with the case – a group that included soldiers, civil servants, tradesmen and teachers – were sentenced to no more than four years and 10 months in jail each, the two women who sold the young victim, identified only as N.Ç., were given sentences of nine years.

Turkish Court’s rape case verdict to create revolt in Turkey

The heavier punishments to the two women were justified by the Mardin 1st High Criminal Court as being due to ‘the virtueless life of the two women.’

All hopes of correction of the Mardin court’s mistakes  by the high court of appeals demolished as it has approved the verdict.

Previously, N.Ç. had written a letter to then-Justice Minister Cemil Çiçek when she learned that all the suspects had been released pending trial. “What would do you if it was your daughter and not me?” she wrote in the letter.

Many journalists and artisans blamed the Turkish court system. One even wrote ‘ that poor girl had been raped not by 26 men, it is 27 with this decision by the high court’

One Turkish rocker tweeted: In Hrant Dink ( the Armenian origin writer) shooting case the 18 year old gunman was said to be too young to commit an act of his own accord, yet a 13 year old girl can sleep with 26 men of her own free will.

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