News Center- The fourth hearing of trial opened against Musa Orhan, a former specialized sergeant who drove İpek Er suicide by raping her, was held.

Family members and lawyers of İpek Er, members of Siirt and Diyarbakır Bar Associations, Lawyers Association for Freedom (ÖHD), Human Rights Association (IHD), Spokesperson of the women branch of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP),  HDP MP Ayşe Acar Başaran, and Batman Municipality’s former co-mayor Songül Korkmaz attended the hearing. Journalists weren’t allowed to enter the hearing room.

After the defense of the lawyers, the prosecution demanded Musa Orhan be punished for sexual assaulting İpek Er and be arrested by the court pending a trial; however, the court rejected the demand and postponed the hearing to 3 December.

What had happened?

18-year-old İpek Er committed suicide on July 16 in the Beşiri district of Batman province and she died at a hospital on August 18, 2020. She left a letter and in the letter, she wrote that Musa Orhan raped her. Her family filed a criminal complaint against Musa Orhan stating that he had raped and abducted İpek Er.

Musa Orhan was arrested after increasing reactions of people. But he was released pending trial on the grounds that there was no flight risk.