DNA investigation deepens in Rojin Kabaiş case

DNA EXAMINATIONS EXPANDED

21-year-old Rojin Kabaiş, a student at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University's Preschool Teaching Department, had been missing since September 27, 2024. Following the discovery of her lifeless body on the shores of Lake Van in the Mollakasım neighborhood of Tuşba district on October 15, 2024, an investigation was launched. As part of this investigation, DNA samples from a total of 425 people in the Mollakasım and Bardakçı villages—the latter being adjacent to the university—have been examined so far. Authorities stated that the number of people from whom DNA profiles will be collected could reach 2,500.

Large-scale DNA analyses are ongoing in the two villages that play a major role in the incident: Mollakasım and Bardakçı. Unlocking Rojin's phone is also seen as a crucial element that will determine the course of the investigation.

THE FAMILY'S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE

Rojin Kabaiş's father, Nizamettin Kabaiş, reiterated his demands for the investigation to be conducted properly. Kabaiş said, "Let the DNA samples be collected. We requested that DNA be taken from the Rector's relatives, the men at the university, and the men in the Mollakasım and Bardakçı villages. We requested that the phone be unlocked. The conversations have been hopeful. Rojin's sisters and mother were interviewed. If it weren't for the hopes given by the new Minister of Justice, we would have held a sit-in protest in front of the Van Courthouse with my family. He gave us great hope, so we will not hold a sit-in," expressing satisfaction with the transparency prioritized by state officials.

Nizamettin Kabaiş also voiced his concerns regarding the suspicious actions of the Rector and his inner circle, stating, "The files are similar. Ours has nothing to do with the Governor of Van; it is related to the Rector. At that time, the Rector both obscured evidence and acted very suspiciously. The local people there are pointing to two of the Rector's nephews. Last year, a person who knew the Rector closely went to give a statement. The man said, 'I want to give a statement about the Rector regarding Rojin's file.' They detained him. He remained in custody for one day. That man is shedding light on the file and showing the way. Why are they detaining him? We have expressed this to the prosecutor's office many times. If a person goes to give a statement, it is a hope for the file. Maybe he knows something. In Tunceli, a man similarly brought and left a letter," he said.

"I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THE IDENTITY IS REVEALED"

Stating that they are personally following the file, Nizamettin Kabaiş emphasized that the incident was a murder, saying, "We want the phone to be unlocked, and I will not be at ease until it is revealed who those two male DNA samples belong to. It is clear that this is a murder. Who harmed that young girl? I want the number to be increased not just to 2,500, but to 5,000. We were told that 2,500 people's DNA would be checked. We have been demanding this for a long time. But it is being done now. DNA has been checked for a week. So far, a total of 425 people's DNA has been checked. These are from Bardakçı village and Mollakasım. Mollakasım is the village where Rojin's lifeless body was found. Bardakçı village is attached to the university. We requested the DNA of the Rector and his relatives. If the phone is unlocked, it is a great hope," he said.

CAMERA RECORDS AND SECURITY DEFICIENCIES ON THE AGENDA

The family also demands that camera records be examined and security deficiencies be addressed to clarify the incident. Her father, Nizamettin Kabaiş, said, "Why hasn't the Rector been questioned so far? In Tunceli, it was the state's governor, and 78 questions were asked of him. That was what was required. If the Minister of Justice listens to us from here, they should ask him too. This man didn't descend from the sky; he is a human being too. Why is his side being protected? If you are a Rector, you will pay the price for your mistakes. Your fence is broken, there is no light, your camera is missing. There is this and that. These kinds of things, no questions were asked. Previously, he was telling us that it was private property and he couldn't install cameras. But what did he do after Rojin? He installed 5 cameras directly at the same spot where Rojin's phone was found. He installed them on the private property he mentioned. There are deleted camera records, and I want them to be identified as well. Both in Mollakasım and the last camera of the university. They told him it was broken, and they had turned one of them into black and white," he said.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Rojin Kabaiş's funeral was held in Diyarbakır on October 16, 2024. Investigative authorities state that large-scale DNA analyses, the taking of statements from suspicious individuals, and technical examinations are continuing to clarify the crime. Rojin Kabaiş's family and the public are waiting for the process to be conducted transparently and fairly to ensure justice is served.

News Source: 12punto