Man accused of killing his wife with an iron appears in court: 'The woman I spoke to in a virtual game'

In the incident that took place on August 24, 2024, in the Çınarlı neighborhood of the Süleymanpaşa district in Tekirdağ, an argument between Hasan Dim and his wife Elif Dim escalated into a fight. It is alleged that Hasan Dim beat his wife and then killed her by striking her head with an iron. The suspect, who went missing after the incident, was captured by gendarmerie teams after hiding in different neighborhoods for two days.

Dim, who attempted suicide by holding a knife to his stomach while being taken into custody, was neutralized by security forces. Hasan Dim, who was arrested and sent to prison, appeared before the judge at the Tekirdağ 4th High Criminal Court. The hearing was attended by the detained defendant Hasan Dim, the victim Elif Dim's mother Nurgül and father Mustafa Yürük, the parties' lawyers, and a representative from the Ministry of Family and Social Services. While it was learned that the couple had two children, Elif Dim's family suffered a breakdown before the hearing.

DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS

In his defense, the defendant Hasan Dim claimed that he and his wife had a happy marriage, stating, "My wife and I had an argument after she saw that I had talked to a woman in a virtual game, but then we made up. On the day of the incident, we argued about the same issue. When I came home from work, I slapped my wife after the argument. She fell to the ground, and when I saw a bloodstain on her eyebrow, I tried to help her, but she seemed unconscious. Then I took her to the bathroom.

Then, after I went downstairs to get my phone, which was on my motorcycle, to call an ambulance, my son called and told me to pick him up from work. I picked him up, dropped him off at home, and left the house on my motorcycle. Later, I called the ambulance. I did not want the situation to reach this point. I regret what happened. Some news reports say that I hit my wife's head with an iron, but that did not happen. I never committed this act with premeditation," he said.

The victim's mother and father stated that their daughter had problems in her marriage and demanded that the defendant receive the maximum sentence. The couple's son, A.E.D., who gave his statement in the presence of a pedagogue, said that his parents argued from time to time but that he was undecided about whether to file a complaint.

"HE IS TRYING TO COVER UP THE CRIME"

Stating that the defendant's defense was contradictory, the victim's lawyer Ferhat Gebeş said, "The defendant says he called 112 while he was at home, then he states he called after dropping his son off at home. He denies the allegations regarding the iron, but there are blood samples on the base of the iron and the electrical outlet. The defendant is trying to cover up the crime and receive a sentence reduction for good conduct. There are strong suspicions that the victim was already dead before he left the house," he said.

Tekirdağ Bar Association President Attorney Egemen Gürcün said, "We attended the hearing as the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Commission. We are here to ensure the material truth is revealed. We hope that this case will contribute to putting an end to femicides."

The court panel decided to continue the defendant's detention and adjourned the hearing to May 8.