Example of impunity: Suspicious death of two women and a free perpetrator 

2024-11-17 09:25:28


	ISTANBUL - Vesile and Hülya Bingöl died under suspicious circumstances during their marriage to İsmet Bingöl. The women's deaths were recorded as “suicide” and the man is still on trial without arrest. 

	Women struggle for justice, equality and freedom against male-state violence in all areas of life. In every month of the year, women, who are intimidated by the “massacre” policies of the male-dominated system, raised their voices in the streets and courthouse corridors against massacres, violence and masculine policies. According to the data of the We Will Stop Femicide Platform (KCDP), 343 women were murdered in 10 months of the year, while 207 women died under suspicious circumstances. According to  9-month tally of JINNEWS, 273 women were murdered and 148 died under suspicious circumstances.

	 

	On November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we turned the microphone on her family as they continue to seek “justice” for Vesile Bingöl, whose death was recorded as a “suicide”. 

	 

	'SUICIDE ATTEMPT'

	 

	It was claimed that 23-year-old Vesile Bingöl, who died under suspicious circumstances on July 23, 2023 in her house in Bağcılar district of Istanbul, committed “suicide”. İsmet Bingöl, to whom she was married, claimed that he found Vesile in a state of “suicide”, while the family stated that their daughter was murdered by İsmet Bingöl, to whom she had been subjected to violence. 

	 

	Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which prepared an indictment on May 10 within the scope of the investigation, decided “no prosecution” for the crime of “willfull murder” despite the findings of the crime scene investigation and the family's statement. The indictment accepted by the Bakırköy High Criminal Court included the crimes of “cruelty against the spouse” and “committing suicide in case of directing someone else to commit suicide”. 

	 

	HELD IN PRISON FOR 6 MONTHS

	 

	The perpetrator Bingöl was arrested as a “precautionary measure” and released 6 months later. On October 23rd, during the first hearing, there were arguments between the families and the next hearing was postponed to December 18th. 

	 

	CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION REPORT

	 

	In the crime scene investigation report, it was stated that the natural gas pipe where Vesile Bingöl, who is 1.65 meters tall, allegedly hanged herself was 2.10 meters high and there was no stool in the kitchen, and that the house was messy and the television was broken. It was stated that the rope that Bingöl claimed to have cut was not possible to be cut with a person hanging on it, and that the knife allegedly used to cut the rope was found on the kitchen counter in a proper condition. 

	 

	ASSAULT REPORT INCLUDED IN THE FILE 

	 

	During her 6-year marriage, Vesile Bingöl had been subjected to violence and a report showing that she had been severely beaten a week before the incident was included in the investigation file. It was also confirmed by neighbors that there was a fight between Vesile Bingöl and İsmet Bingöl the day before the incident.

	 

	'SUICIDE' ALLEGATION FOR HER EX WIFE 

	 

	Hülya Bingöl, whom İsmet Bingöl was married to before Vesile, also died under suspicious circumstances and the similarity between her death, which was called a “suicide”, and Vesile's death was one of the points that drew attention in the indictment. Despite the fact that Hülya Bingöl died after being shot twice, the investigation resulted in impunity, despite the fact that a person who commits “suicide” cannot shoot herself a second time. 

	 

	INDICTMENT 

	 

	In the indictment prepared against the perpetrator Bingöl, who was tried without arrest on charges of “Cruelty” and “Leading to suicide”, it was stated: “He committed systematic and degrading acts against the deceased, inflicted physical and psychological violence on the deceased, shook the deceased's life fundamentally with the effect of drug use, and applied to the family of the deceased with the claim that the deceased was cheating on him, the deceased did not allow the deceased to go out of the house, closed the deceased inside the house from time to time and left the house, the actions against the deceased were committed by the suspect knowingly and intentionally as part of a whole within the framework of a general attitude in a certain process or within a certain plan, the crime of cruelty has emerged... In addition to this; the suspect knowingly and willfully dragged the deceased to this state of mind with a special intention, because it is claimed that his first wife also 'committed suicide', it will not be difficult to reveal the purpose for which the suspect's actions were specific, he directed the deceased to suicide with his conscious actions that led the deceased to suicide, his aim was to drag and force the deceased to suicide as in his first wife...”

	 

	Vesile Bingöl's family reacts to the fact that the perpetrator Bingöl is being tried without remand despite the crime scene investigation report, the evidence in the investigation file and the crimes in the indictment, and demands real justice. 

	 

	SHE WAS UNDER PRESSURE 

	 

	Vesile Bingöl's sister Aleyna Bingöl said that they were informed early in the morning on the day of the incident and when they went to the hospital they learned that her sister had died. Stating that she did not believe that her sister committed “suicide”, Aleyna Bingöl said: “He (İsmet Bingöl) definitely killed my sister. He used to put psychological pressure on my sister, he didn't even let her go to the window. He always did the grocery shopping himself, my sister could not go out. My sister was always under pressure. My sister got a battering report upon our insistence.” 

	 

	NAIL MARKS ON THE PERPETRATOR'S BODY

	 

	Stating that the perpetrator was released from prison after 6 months, “The reason he stayed in prison was that my sister had nail marks on his body. So there was a struggle. There were nail and bite marks on her arms. Despite this, he was released by the judge due to lack of evidence. The trial is going on right now, we will do our best until the end. Our only request is for him to be arrested and punished. His previous wife was pregnant. We don't want him to roam freely outside,” sister Aleyna Bingöl said.

	 

	SIMILARITIES IN TWO MURDERS

	 

	Drawing attention to the incident in which Hülya Bingöl, to whom the perpetrator was previously married, lost her life, Aleyna Bingöl stated the following “They argued in the same way and Hülya Bingöl went to the other room. Two bullets hit her in the heart. This person is not punished because the gun is licensed. In the same way, again the volume of the TV is loud, again the family apartment building, she goes up to the building and asks for help, but she does not call the ambulance there. He had a scenario in his head, and both my sister and Hülya Bingöl died in July. We think he personally did it.” 

	 

	Noting that someone who committed such a crime should not be free, Aleyna Bingöl said: “My sister was full of life, she loved to laugh. She was very fond of her children. I don't believe there is justice. Why is this person out there, why isn't he punished? We will do our best to make him serve his sentence.” 

	 

	6 YEARS OF VIOLENCE 

	 

	Mother Gulistan Karabay also emphasized that her daughter was subjected to violence during her 6-year marriage. Gulistan Karabay said: “He did not allow her to go out. She has 3 children, she would lock the door and take the key with her. When I asked her to come to my daughter, she would say 'I have three children, how can I come'. Whatever happened to my daughter, İsmet tortured her. İsmet Bingöl murdered my daughter with a plan. We want justice, we don't want him to walk free. He came in a suit and white shirt and stood in front of us. It is very difficult, it has been 1 year and 4 months and my lungs are still burning like the first day.” 

	 

	MA / Yeşim Tükel