ECtHR rules Turkey failed to protect murdered woman
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULFeb 24, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
Feb 24, 2016 12:00 am
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ordered Turkey to pay compensation for what it called authorities' failure to protect the life of a woman who had been "genuinely and seriously threatened by her husband." The compensation will be paid to the children of Selma Civek who was stabbed to death in broad daylight by her husband Hüseyin in the western city of İzmir in January 2011.
The court said although Turkish authorities were aware of problems between the couple and the husband's previous violent acts against his wife and adopted several measures such as prosecuting the husband, remanding him in custody and placing him under judicial supervision, they failed to take "appropriate action" to prevent the woman's murder. The ruling said the victim repeatedly lodged complaints against her husband and cited his threats to kill her, but Turkish authorities violated the Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights that protects the right to life.
Hüseyin Civek, who stabbed his wife who had previously filed for divorce from him 22 times, was sentenced to an aggravated life sentence last year. The case marked the first time the government or Family and Social Policies Ministry acted as a co-plaintiff in a trial for the murder of a woman by her spouse. The couple's three children had taken the case to the ECtHR on the grounds that the state failed to protect their mother despite restraining orders and an order for personal protection for Selma Civek by police.
Domestic violence and the murder of women by their husbands, partners and relatives have long been thorny issues in Turkey where broader media coverage has made the disturbing phenomenon more visible. Factors ranging from a warped mindset motivating men to kill women who cheat on them in so-called honor killings and lighter sentences for men who murder women are blamed for the prevalence of the crime. A total of 413 women have been killed by their spouses and relatives between February 2015 and February 2016, according to a non-profit organization.
Lethal domestic violence is a common occurrence in the country, with the victims, often women, having earlier filed for divorce. Although police protection and shelters are available for women threatened by their spouses, authorities say it is difficult to prevent murders or acts of violence simply through legal measures. Turkey is one of the signatory countries of the Istanbul Convention, the first comprehensive and legally binding international document on domestic violence. The convention, which came into force in 2014, requires the implementation of several steps to combat domestic violence. Amid the obligations the convention demands of countries is the penalizing of psychological violence toward women, female genital mutilation and acting as an accomplice to perpetrators of violence. The convention also orders countries to begin campaigns to raise awareness of gender equality, such as educating students on the issue. Signatory countries are also required to implement effective laws against domestic violence and protect victims as well as offer them therapy. The government is about to wrap up an action plan to fight violence against women. The action plan is expected to improve legal and preventative measures by the judiciary and law enforcement and further raise awareness about the issue. The plan will also provide more assistance for victims and rehabilitation for perpetrators.
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