20/02/2025 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
On 16 January, the defendant, who attacked trans woman Ç.A and was arrested afterwards, was released in the first hearing of the case held today. 20 November Association said, ‘This result has added another shame to the Turkish legal system.’
A new one was added to the transphobic attacks on Bornova Street and neighbouring streets in Izmir's Alsancak district in recent months. The 20 November Association shared the footage of the last attack on the street, which has been on the agenda with the attacks of unidentified men on trans women in recent months, in January.
On 16 January, a man wearing a hoodie punched trans woman Ç.A on the street for no reason and then ran away. Ç.A, who was seriously injured in the attack, filed a complaint the day after the incident. The attacker was identified and arrested on 17 January.
The first hearing of the case regarding the hate attack was held today at Izmir 18th Criminal Court of First Instance. 20 November Association for Combating Hate Crimes and Women's Assemblies followed the trial.
Tuğçe Güvercin and İrem Revşen Yıldız, lawyers of Ç.A., who was subjected to transphobic attack, were present in the courtroom.
At the end of the hearing, the court ruled for the release of the arrested defendant.
‘This attack is not an individual attack’
Lawyers İrem Revşen Yıldız and Tuğçe Güvercin talked to KaosGL.org about what happened and the hearing held today.
Yıldız stated that the man who attacked Ç.A. also targeted other women on the street.
Yıldız said the following:
"All the evidence in the file was complete, but there was an unexpected and premature decision. There is an identification report and a Forensic Medicine report stating that Ç.A. was seriously injured. The defendant also attended the hearing. In his defence, he said that he had a monetary relationship with Ç.A. and made transphobic statements that we are used to in cases of violence against trans people. He said he regretted it. While making our defences, we emphasised that this attack was not isolated and was a hate crime."
Yıldız said that they will appeal the verdict and said, ‘We will make our objection and take the file to the appeal. We expect this decision to be reversed by the appeal court.’
‘The client's reputation has been targeted in a way that tries to minimise the seriousness of the complaint’
Lawyer Tuğçe Güvercin stated the following:
"Representatives of associations and human rights defenders who were present in the courtroom to show solidarity with our client and to follow the case were considered by the defence as “gathering individuals and trying to create sensation”. Although the ATK report documenting that the client had 4 different fractures on his face was included in the file, the defence team targeted the client's reputation in an attempt to diminish the seriousness of his complaint and stated that he was victimising the defendant for filing a complaint. These usual defences, which are the result of impunity policies, are the continuation of transphobic hatred and violence reflected in the courtroom."
20 November: "We will surely ask for an account"
After the hearing, 20 November Association for Combating Hate Crimes made a press statement. The association said the following in its statement:
"The perpetrator who inflicted violence on our trans woman friend Ç.A. was released. On 16 January, we were at the courthouse today for our friend who was attacked while standing in front of her house. We are leaving here with the result of the system that makes the streets unsafe for women and trans people, takes away the right to life of women and LGBTI+ people and legitimises male violence every time without surprise. This result has added another shame to Turkey's legal system. We will get out of these courthouse corridors where you have squeezed our lives, out of this helplessness you have imprisoned us. No one is safe on the streets with the result of today's release. You are afraid of a flag, we are afraid of the perpetrators you have left unpunished. With the word family used in the court, we see once again that the perpetrator children of that family have gone unpunished. We will ask for an account with our family here. We will surely ask for an account."
Tags: human rights, women
