Christians Under Attack

The incident took place in the Tuzlataşı village of Erzurum's Çat district. The 13-year-old victim, E.D., was in the family stables taking care of a horse when she was attacked and raped by 15-year-old Fatih D. Children playing nearby alerted the victim's family, who found her unconscious in the stables.

The young girl told her family of the rape after she regained conscious and her family pummeled the rapist's home with stones, saying, “Give the rapist to us or else we will burn down your home.”

People in the village held a town hall meeting in order to try and find a resolution, and maintain peace between the two families. The father of the victim, Nizamettin D., who was in attendance at the meeting, said the only way he could forgive what happened was if Fatih D.'s family gave his family six cattle and a parcel of land; he also insisted that Fatih D. marry his daughter, and the rapist's sister marry his son.

Fatih D.'s father, Şükrü D., gave E.D.'s family the six cattle and land they requested, but then fled from the village fearing that he might be killed by members of the victim's family.

Locals informed the gendarmerie about the incident, which led to Fatih D.'s arrest. In his interrogation, Fatih D. confessed that he had raped E.D. and wanted to abduct her. “I told E.D. that I wanted to run away with her. When she refused to come with me, I pulled her and dragged her on the floor of the barn, but then I left her there and fled to the mountains. I was with the shepherds,” he said. Fatih D. was taken into custody following his interrogation.

Meanwhile, E.D. was taken to a hospital and kept there for observation. She later stated in court that she had been raped by Fatih D.

 

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