News Editor Ajda Ender /Harrisons
A Turkish man who was with his girlfriend when she died in an apparent suicide by hanging has been jailed for four years after footage emerged showing him beating and abusing her before her death.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
Umitcan Uygun was investigated over her death but was not charged with murder after prosecutors treated the case as a suicide, but he subsequently faced allegations of causing her death after footage forced him to admit abusing her before she died.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
The young woman Sema Esen, 21, known as Aleyna Cakir, was found dead with a rope around her neck at her home in Kecioren, in the Turkish capital Ankara, on 3rd June 2020.
Description: Umitcan Uygun (22), who was stated to be Aleyna Cakır’s lover. Note: Screen grab from video(Newsflash).
According to reports, footage showing Umitcan assaulting Sema appeared shortly after her death.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
Witnesses also alleged that Sema had repeatedly suffered violence and threats.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
Prosecutors later charged Umitcan with encouraging Sema to take her own life and subjecting her to ill-treatment.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
But Sema’s family has never accepted that she simply killed herself and continued to argue that Umitcan should have faced a murder case.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
Their lawyers told Ankara 34th High Criminal Court that CCTV placed him at the scene during a crucial 40-minute period when Sema could no longer be contacted.
Description: Aleyna Cakır (21) who was found dead in her home in Kecioren district in Turkey. Note: Private picture(Newsflash).
Lawyer Gizem Koc said Sema had messaged Umitcan at about 1am but that subsequent messages were not delivered.
Description: Umitcan Uygun (22), who was stated to be Aleyna Cakır’s lover. Note: Screen grab from video(Newsflash).
Another family lawyer, Umur Yildirim, told judges: “The real issue that needs to be resolved is whether the defendant went to the victim’s home between 1am and 1.40am.
“If he went there, then we should be talking about intentional killing, not suicide.”
Umitcan denied causing Sema’s death but admitted hitting her.
He told the court: “In my life I slapped Aleyna once and everything happened to me after that. My conscience is clear.
“I did not cause any woman’s death and I did not kill any woman. I am innocent.”
Umitcan said he had intended to marry Sema, adding: “I loved her and I still love her.”
Sema’s father Mehmet Esen said: “My complaint continues and I trust justice. I want him to serve his sentence for what he did to my child.”
Her mother Hatun Esen told the court: “I want him to receive life imprisonment and never see daylight again. If my child is rotting in the ground, he should rot inside too.”
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of up to 15 years for encouraging suicide and ill-treatment.
Judges convicted Umitcan of encouraging Sema’s suicide and strengthening her decision to take her own life, sentencing him to four years in prison.
He was acquitted of the separate ill-treatment charge.
Umitcan is already serving a prison sentence in another case.
(Harrisons)
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