In the case of 10-year-old cousins Büşra and Tuğçe, who were found dead in a culvert 17 years ago, suspects Ayhan Yakar and her older brother Seyhan Yakar were each sentenced to life imprisonment twice.
BIn the murder case of the cousins who were found dead in a culvert 17 years ago in alıkesir, a life sentence was given once again. Suspects Ayhan Yakar and his elder brother Seyhan Yakar were sentenced to two life sentences in the incident in which 10-year-old cousins Büşra and Tuğçe, known to the public as the ‘cousin murder’, were killed.
DETENTION AFTER 11 YEARS
A verdict has been issued against Ayhan Yakar (43) and his older brother Seyhan Yakar (45), who are on trial for murdering cousins Büşra Karabacak and Tuğçe Yıldırım in Savaştepe district of Balıkesir. As in the first decision, two aggravated life sentences were given to the Yakar brothers; Then, good behavior reduction was applied and these sentences were sentenced to life imprisonment twice. In addition, with the increase in the statute of limitations, each child was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months for the crime of ‘depriving the child of his/her liberty with more than one person’. Lawyer İbrahim Erenci said that they will appeal the decision.
Tissue samples taken from the children after the terrible event in 2006 were sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute. The police detained Seyhan Yakar and Ayhan Yakar after 11.5 years as suspects of the double murder. A lawsuit was filed against Yakar brothers on charges of ‘Deliberate killing’, ‘Deprivation of liberty with more than one person’ and ‘Sexual abuse’.
Opinions by 6 different forensic medicine institutions entered the court file. In the judgment hearing on April 22, 2022, the defendants Seyhan and Ayhan Yakar brothers were sentenced to two life sentences each. In addition, the case was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. The decision was appealed by the prosecutor’s office and lawyers. Bursa 1st Penal Chamber ruled that the file should be examined by a new committee of 5 experts in genetics across Turkey.
DELEGATION PREPARED A REPORT
A new committee was appointed upon the decision of the court of appeal. Evaluating the opinions of 6 different forensic medicine institutions and experts, the committee presented its report to the court in April. The report said, “Because the Y-STR analysis, which is found only in males and is the same in all male individuals in the pedigree, is compatible, it should be considered as strong evidence of DNA belonging to Ayhan and Seyhan Yakar.” Büşra Karabacak and Tuğçe Yıldırım’s families
His lawyer, İbrahim Erenci, said, “The court decided for the second time, nothing changed. Of course, we will appeal again. The panel agrees that there is a child murderer, but they said, ‘We apply a discretionary discount.’
I told you we were confused,” he said.
SUAT EPIDEMIC
