Court of Cassation upholds life sentence for Tuncer Ustael in Palu family case

A final verdict has been reached in the trial publicly known as the “Palu family case.” The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation found the life sentence imposed on defendant Tuncer Ustael in the case concerning the death of Melike Tahnal, who went missing in the Körfez district of Kocaeli in 2008, to be in accordance with the law.

The Chamber upheld the sentence given to Ustael for the crime of “killing a child with eventual intent,” while also finding the acquittal decisions for other family members to be appropriate. Thus, the case, which had passed through local court and appellate stages, has now been finalized.

The initial investigation into the 2008 disappearance of Melike Tahnal and her mother Meryem Tahnal had resulted in a decision of non-prosecution due to a lack of concrete evidence. The file was reopened ex officio by the Kocaeli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office after the incident was brought back to the public agenda during a television broadcast in 2018.

During the investigation process, Tuncer Ustael and family members were detained during a live broadcast on January 9, 2019, and referred to judicial authorities. The case, which was closely followed by the public, was later heard at the Sakarya 6th High Criminal Court.

The local court sentenced Tuncer Ustael to life imprisonment for the crime of “killing a child with eventual intent.” Ustael was acquitted of the charge of “sexual abuse of a child.”

The court panel issued acquittal decisions for Ayşe Palu, Havva Palu, İsa Palu, Fatih Palu, and Emine Ustael regarding the charge of “intentional killing of a child.” These decisions were also found to be in accordance with the law by the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Sakarya Regional Court of Justice.

Completing its appellate review, the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation pointed out that it was established that Melike Tahnal had been forced to consume a substance with lethal effects, specifically denatured alcohol. The Chamber found it legally appropriate to evaluate this act within the scope of “killing with eventual intent.”

The Court of Cassation decided to uphold the acquittal rulings, stating that there was no definitive evidence regarding the charge of qualified sexual abuse against Ustael, nor regarding the allegations of complicity in the murder against the other defendants.

With this decision, the life sentence for Tuncer Ustael has been finalized, and the acquittal decisions for the other defendants have also gained the status of a final judgment.

News Source: 12punto