‘How could I stop him raping me?’ 15-year-old girl asks judge

KARAMAN

A 15-year-old girl from central Turkey, who was allegedly raped by eight teenagers three years ago, has sent a letter to the judge who acquitted all suspects on the grounds that she had “given consent,” according to media reports on March 16.“I was only 15 years old and I weighed 38 kg. I did not have enough force to resist him,” the girl, identified only by the initials Z.C., wrote in a letter to the judge in the Central Anatolian province of Karaman, according to daily Akşam.On March 13, the court acquitted all eight suspects, aged between 15 and 17, stating that the sexual relations were based on consent. The verdict has created a public outcry in Turkey.“Both yourself and the police accused me. You asked why I didn’t resist him. The man was three times heavier than me. How can you compare a man’s force with mine?” she wrote in the letter, addressed to “Uncle Judge.”Z.C. was not able to testify at the court, reportedly due to the trauma.“I attempted to commit suicide but I did not succeed. This is my last statement. I will not come to your court, which does not believe me and mocks me. I leave you with your justice and your conscience,” she added, also describing herself as “the walking dead.”Along with the eight suspects, the plaintiff also accused two 47-year-old men of rape. One of them, identified by the initials H.Ç., was acquitted by the same court using the same reasoning in 2013, according to the girl’s lawyer Bünyamin Çelik.Çelik announced on March 15 that they had appealed the rulings.The Family and Social Policies Ministry, meanwhile, released a statement on March 18, declaring that it would take part in the latest appeal process.“As the ministry, we are on the side of the child in such incidents and we are a party to this case. Although we respect the decisions of the courts, we will contact the Justice Ministry on how a minor’s consent can possibly be the basis of a ruling,” the statement said.