New development in the death of the Böcek family! Critical report emerges

As part of the investigation into the deaths of a mother, father, and their 2 children in Fatih due to suspected 'poisoning,' a report regarding food and beverages was prepared by the Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. The report stated that no inappropriate substances could be detected.

PRELIMINARY AUTOPSY REPORT HAD ALSO EMERGED

On the other hand, a preliminary report prepared by the Council of Forensic Medicine as part of the investigation had also emerged. The report stated that the family arrived in Istanbul for tourism purposes on Sunday, November 9, and stayed at the Harbour Suites Old City Hotel in the Fatih district; that they consumed various foods from outside such as mussels, pide, tantuni, kokoreç, and Turkish delight on November 10 and 11; that nausea and vomiting complaints began in the early hours of November 12; and that they applied to the hospital in the morning and returned to the hotel after their initial treatment.

The report, which stated that the family was taken to the hospital by ambulances called to the hotel around 03:00 on Thursday, November 13, noted that the children could not be saved despite the intervention, while mother Çiğdem Böcek passed away on Friday, November 14, and father Servet Böcek passed away on November 17.

The report stated that the hotel where the family stayed was sprayed for pests and insects on November 11, and according to verbal information received from the crime scene investigation team, room 201 where the family stayed was located directly above room 101, which had been sprayed, and that there was no ventilation system. It also included information that 2 foreign nationals from the same hotel were treated in the hospital with similar complaints on November 15.

Furthermore, it was stated that the chemical substances and containers used during the hotel's pest control, the first blood sample taken from mother Çiğdem Böcek at the hospital, the first blood sample and stomach contents taken from father Servet Böcek at the hospital, the first blood samples taken from the 2 foreign nationals at the hospital, and the bed sheets from the room where the family stayed were sent to the Council of Forensic Medicine by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for examination.

The report stated that as a result of the autopsies, no traumatic findings that would cause death were observed in the external examinations of the children, and no significant findings were observed in their autopsies other than localized bleeding in the stomach wall and redness in the stomach.

On the other hand, it was noted that in the external examination of the autopsy performed for the funeral of mother Çiğdem Böcek, who passed away while undergoing treatment at Taksim Training and Research Hospital, no traumatic findings that would cause death were observed, and no significant findings were observed other than pinpoint ulcerated areas on the stomach wall and widespread bleeding in the stomach wall (submucosal).

The report stated that in the external examination of father Servet Böcek performed by the Istanbul Morgue Specialized Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine, no traumatic findings that would cause death were observed, and redness in the stomach, localized bleeding in the stomach wall, thrombus (blood clot) in the vessels, and slightly bloody contents in the small intestine were observed.

In the conclusion section of the prepared report, it was stated that the samples taken during the autopsies of the mother and children were examined by the Istanbul Chemistry Specialized Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine, but the toxic substances and their metabolites found in their systems could not be detected.

It was also noted that the first blood samples taken from the mother, father, and the 2 foreign nationals at the hospitals were also examined separately, and no toxic substances or their metabolites could be detected there either.

CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE POISONING

The report included the following statements:

"When the manner in which the incident occurred, their medical histories, the latest information obtained, and the fact that 2 more people from the same hotel are being treated in the hospital with similar complaints are evaluated together, it is considered that the mother, father, and children passed away primarily due to chemical substance poisoning originating from the environment in the hotel where they stayed, and with a lower probability, due to food poisoning related to the food they consumed. However, a definitive opinion regarding the cause of death will be stated following the pathological, microbiological, and toxicological analysis of the samples taken from the mother, father, and children during the autopsy. Samples of the chemical substances used in the hotel's pest control, their containers, and bed sheet samples have been requested from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and their chemical contents will be examined by the Chemistry Specialized Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine."

The report also stated that relevant examinations are continuing by the Ministry of Health General Directorate of Public Health Microbiology Reference Laboratory and Department of Biological Products, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry General Directorate of Food and Control Istanbul (Florya) Food Control Laboratory Directorate, the Ministry of Interior AFAD General Directorate Istanbul Provincial Directorate for chemical gas analysis of the ambient air, and the Council of Forensic Medicine Chemistry Specialized Department Toxicology Laboratory, Morgue Specialized Department Histopathological Examinations Branch, and Microbiology Laboratory.

News Source: İHA