MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 

Colemêrg (Hakkari)- The perpetrators of crimes against women and children mostly go unpunished due to the judicial impunity. In Colemêrg, crimes against women and children are mostly covered up by “village guards”, “tribes” or “opinion leaders”. The declaration of special security zones, construction of military outposts and the bans on public events and activities are considered as the reason for the increase in drug use, violence and sexual assault in Colemêrg.

In the last seven months, six women died under suspicious circumstances in the city and the investigations launched into the suspicious deaths of women are closed without resolution. Most women died under suspicious circumstances had been subjected to physical or psychological violence. The women, who are subjected to violence, sexual assault and harassment mostly remain silent due to the lack of mechanisms providing support to them or social pressure. The victims of rape are mostly married off to their rapists by “opinion leaders” to cover up the incident.

‘The cases of sexual abuse and violence are covered up’

NuJINHA spoke to Pınar Yılmaz, member of the Human Rights Association (IHD), about the crimes committed against women and children in the city. Pointing out that many incidents about child abuse and suspicious death of women have recently occurred in the city, Pınar Yılmaz said, “While some of these incidents are reported to judicial authority, some are covered up. Most cases heard by courts often result in impunity or non-prosecution. Hakkari is a small city and everyone knows each other. The cases of gender-based violence, sexual assault and abuse are mostly covered up because the society in the city is a closed society. Women do not report violence they suffer because their society thinks reporting violence is a shame for women. Most crimes committed against women and girls are covered up sometimes by the judiciary, village guards or sometimes by families.”

‘Women cannot find a mechanism protecting them’

The opinion leaders are closely involved with decisions in the city. “The people known as opinion leaders bring families together and find a solution according to themselves. When women victims of domestic violence want to get a divorce, they cannot find a mechanism protecting them and providing support to them,” Pınar Yılmaz told us.

‘Silence legitimizes violence’

Recalling that a woman died after falling from a high building three months ago, Pınar Yılmaz said, “After her death, it was revealed that she had been subjected to violence for years.” Addressing the judicial authorities and NGOs in the city, she said, “Silence legitimizes violence. How long does this silence last? The impunity encourages men to commit such crimes. This silence must end.”