Sentence of man who sexually assaulted daughter reduced for 'good behavior' by Turkish court

A man named Yılmaz Karadağ who repeatedly sexually assaulted his 17-year-old daughter received a sentence reduction for "good behavior." Karadağ justified his assaults with the teachings of a Muslim clergyman, the survivor reported, and he rejected all accusations in court on the basis that he believed in God.

Thursday January 28 2021 10:15 am

Protesters are seen holding signs that read "No to sexual abuse of children," "Don't protect rapists," "Hear my voice, raise your voice."

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A father named Yılmaz Karadağ, who justified his sexual assault of his 17-year-old daughter with the teachings of a local clergyman, received a 15-year sentence reduction for good behavior, the daily Cumhuriyet reported on Jan. 28.

Karadağ's daughter revealed during the first hearing of the case that her assailant had justified his continued assault by saying things like "The hodjas told me it was acceptable for a father to have relations with his daughter. You're my wife now."

Karadağ's defense that resulted in a sentence reduction was also based on Islam, as the abusive father denied assaulting his daughter by pointing to his faith in God.

"I did no such thing because I have faith in Allah," the assailant said.

The court originally issued a 45-year sentence, which the prosecutor sought for the sexual abuse of a minor, but later decreased it to 30 "considering the defendant's positive behavior during the trial."

"He wore a suit to the hearing, so they gave him a sentence reduction with a 30-year sentence," the survivor's attorney Ayten Bademci said. "We will appeal the sentence reduction."

The survivor's aunt, the sister of Karadağ's late wife, reported his abuse to law enforcement, leading to his arrest on Aug. 20, 2020.

Karadağ's sentence is unfortunately part of a larger systematic failure of the Turkish judiciary to efficiently prosecute those convicted of violent crimes against women.