Ömür Bilge case heard: Court rejects request from the Association of Children and Women First

Aslı AĞIRDİL - 12punto.com.tr

Ömür Bilge, who lives in Kırklareli, was subjected to a knife attack by her ex-husband, which resulted in a collapsed lung. Following the stabbing, she was also subjected to sexual assault. The case, which was heard recently, was returned from the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice. The Association of Children and Women First had appealed the decision, arguing that the defendant should have been sentenced for attempted intentional murder rather than intentional injury resulting in serious consequences. The association's requests were rejected. Ömür Bilge's lawyer, Nurbanu Satılmış, spoke to 12Punto regarding the decision.

THE COURT HAD ISSUED A DIVORCE DECREE

Lawyer Nurbanu Satılmış of the Association of Children and Women First stated that many attacks had occurred prior to this incident. Furthermore, noting that they had filed a criminal complaint for rape following the stabbing, Satılmış said:

"Ömür Bilge was attacked by her husband. Or rather, her ex-husband, but the divorce decree had not yet been finalized. The divorce case had been heard and the parties were ordered to divorce. In fact, custody of the children was left to both the mother and father. Later, she was attacked with a knife by her husband and her lung collapsed. She underwent a very serious operation. She returned from the brink of death. This was not the first incident between them. Previously, he had cut her wrists and attacked her with a glass, a perfume bottle, and an electric cord. There were very severe traumatic events. On the day the incident occurred, there was also a rape incident following the stabbing. We had filed a criminal complaint regarding this."

“IF I HADN'T PROTECTED MYSELF, IT COULD HAVE HIT MY HEART”

Emphasizing that the defendant should have been sentenced for attempted murder, Attorney Satılmış stated that the court issued a sentence for intentional injury resulting in serious consequences.

Satılmış stated the following:

“The case was heard in Kırklareli. The court issued a conviction. We pushed for attempted murder because the man had previously made constant threats saying, 'I will kill you.' However, the court issued a sentence for intentional injury resulting in serious consequences. It also issued a sentence for rape. The rape issue was very important to us because there was a dissenting opinion from one of the members regarding the rape charge. It claimed the rape allegation was not proven. Despite that, the court still issued a prison sentence for rape. The Istanbul Regional Court of Justice upheld the decision. Currently, Hakan Bilge, Ömür Bilge's ex-husband, has been sentenced for both rape and intentional injury resulting in serious consequences. The file will now go to the Court of Cassation.

There is a stabbing incident; she received a knife wound under her arm. Because it was very close to the lung, it caused the lung to collapse and resulted in serious injury. Ömür Bilge's statement is as follows: 'He was swinging the knife in his hand. Because I curled up, it hit my armpit. If I hadn't protected myself, it could have hit my heart or my throat.'

There is actually an intent to kill there. The man is already using drugs and is under their influence. However, the court said serious injury, not attempted murder. The appeal court still says it is not attempted murder."

THE JUDGE ASKED ‘WHY DIDN'T YOU SCREAM’

"He received 5 years for intentional injury resulting in serious consequences and 10 years for aggravated sexual assault. He received a total of 15 years in prison. We were striving for him to receive 20-25 years for attempted murder. Our success here is that he was sentenced for rape. The judge asked this: 'Did you scream? Why didn't you scream?' He stabbed the woman, then stripped her under the pretext of dressing her wounds, and then raped her. The woman couldn't even scream while being wounded. After all, she had been stabbed, and she says, 'If I had screamed, he would have killed me then.'"

“HER HUSBAND DIDN'T KILL HER TODAY EITHER”

"Her biggest witness was their daughter. The daughter testified against her father. She told everything: 'My father was always beating my mother at home. He had attacked her with a glass, with a perfume bottle.' There are so many cases and restraining orders... Her mother's house and Ömür's house were across from each other. Ömür's father would wake up every morning, look at his daughter through the window, and say: 'She's walking well. Her husband didn't kill her today either, thank God.'

Satılmış expressed what Ömür Bilge said to her on the day of the verdict hearing: 'If he gets out of prison and they don't give him a sentence, would you come with me to the bus terminal, or will he kill me on the road?' The woman is now afraid because he has gone to prison. She says, 'He will kill me when he gets out this time.' She is afraid that he will become a nuisance to her when he gets out, saying, 'I spent 15 years in prison because of you.'"