Family that appealed for a harsher sentence receives the shock of their lives: 'I am a father whose child was murdered'

In the incident that occurred on June 10 last year on Lara Street in the Muratpaşa district of Antalya, Tarık Deniz, who got out of his car around 03:00 at night to cross the road, lost his life at the scene after being struck by a car driven by B. S. After fleeing the scene, B. S. surrendered to the police station 3 days later and was released under judicial control. Following an appeal, B. S. was arrested, and a lawsuit was filed against him for "causing death by conscious negligence." In the case heard at the Antalya 36th Criminal Court of First Instance, the defendant B. S., who was determined to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months in prison for the crime of "causing death by conscious negligence."

RELEASED

Following an appeal by the family of Tarık Deniz, who found the sentence given to the defendant insufficient, the case was heard today at the 11th Criminal Chamber of the Antalya Regional Court of Justice. The defendant, B. S. (31), as well as Cuma Deniz, the father of 35-year-old Tarık Deniz who lost his life in the accident, his mother Cennet Deniz, and the lawyers for both parties were present in the courtroom. B. S., who maintained that he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, stated in court, "I heard a noise and got very scared. I lost control of my mind."

It was learned that he said, "I fled the scene in a panic." The court panel initially sentenced the defendant to 3 years in prison for "causing death by conscious negligence," citing that he was partially at fault. The sentence was then increased to 4 years due to the conscious negligence enhancement. Taking into account the time the defendant had already spent in prison, the court ordered the release of the defendant, B. S.

HIGHER COURT REDUCED THE SENTENCE

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Cuma Deniz, the father of Tarık Deniz, stated that they had appealed the 6-year-and-8-month prison sentence given to the defendant, who was tried at the Antalya 36th Criminal Court of First Instance, but that the higher court had reduced the sentence, saying, “The defendant caused my son's death by hitting him at high speed with a car he was driving while heavily intoxicated.

"We submitted a receipt showing that he was drinking at the court. We presented that he paid a bill of 1,800 liras. The individual was intoxicated, left the scene of the incident, caused my son's death, was driving at high speed, and threw my son 32.5 meters. There is an eyewitness. There is a receipt. The individual is trying to prove he was not intoxicated by turning himself in 3 days after the accident," he said.

"7-YEAR SENTENCE REDUCED TO 4 YEARS"

Stating that his son would not have died if the defendant had obeyed the speed limit on the road where the accident occurred, father Cuma Deniz said, "The speed limit is 30-40 kilometers; if the defendant had hit my son at this speed, my son would not have died. However, due to the vehicle hitting him at a speed of 120 kilometers, my son was thrown 32.5 meters, hit an electric pole, and lost his life at the scene of the accident. The individual fled the scene, leaving his vehicle, his ID, and everything else in the car."

"He turned himself in 3 days later, after the effects of the alcohol had worn off. We appealed the 6-year-and-8-month sentence because we found it too lenient. In court, our honorable prosecutor stated that the defendant was guilty and had committed manslaughter with conscious negligence, yet the defendant was released by the court. I am a father whose child has been murdered. A 7-year sentence was even reduced to 4 years," he stated.

MOTHER COULD NOT HOLD BACK HER TEARS

Unable to hold back her tears, mother Cennet Deniz stated that her son was not the victim of an accident but of murder, saying, “They have shattered all my hope. You drive both drunk and fast, hit my son, then flee, and come back to surrender 3 days later. My child is rotting in the ground, and he should rot in prison. This is murder, not an accident.”