Newly appointed Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ expressed disappointment at the release of people charged with violent assaults against women and pledged that they would work to prevent it.
"There won’t be release with judiciary control for (the suspect) if he stabbed a lady 15 times," he told an event on domestic violence and violence toward women, also attended by other ministers, in the capital Ankara Wednesday.
Bozdağ did not specify any case but judiciary control rulings for perpetrators of domestic violence by the courts have incited public outrage in recent years in the country. Domestic violence and femicides are two issues plaguing the country, especially in light of wider media coverage and courts’ interpretation of existing laws, which sometimes result in lenient sentences for perpetrators.
The minister also said he was determined to change the laws if need be for ending the controversial practice of commuting prison sentences for people convicted in such cases based on their "good conduct."
Referring to cases where the sentences were commuted solely because of the appearance of defendants during the hearing, Bozdağ said, "Good conduct is not something that grants a reduction in sentence if the defendant wears a tie and suit or is clean-shaven. It is related to genuine remorse of the defendant."
Although cases and femicides decreased according to official figures, the issue is still lingering with at least one femicide almost every day across the country.
"Women are stabbed or subjected to violence but in the absence of immediate evidence, prosecutors ask for arrest. Yet, the judge rules for judiciary control," Bozdağ lamented.
Judiciary control depends on the context of the case but it often involves house arrest prior to hearings or a travel ban for defendants.
"Turkish laws do not allow for the release of a violent person who stabbed a woman 15 times with judiciary control. Who will you order arrest for if not this person? This is the ultimate violent crime. Certainly, it is up to judges (to interpret the laws) but it does not mean that you can arbitrarily issue such rulings. I feel disappointed when I see judiciary control for such people. We need justice, not mercy, in those matters," he said.
The minister also said he instructed his colleagues to build upon the steps taken on the issue and said a new step was needed on "good conduct."
He called upon the relevant authorities to work more meticulously to ensure quicker collection of evidence so that the suspects would not be released immediately.
"I think this is our shortcoming but we won’t allow it. I will personally see to it. Prosecutors should act before the police present the facts and ensure all evidence is properly collected," he said. "This is not an intervention in the duties of the judiciary. It is my job to keep the judiciary working properly," the minister added.
