Guards on trial for murdering a child in prison acquitted

It has been revealed that seven guards who went on trial for the brutal murder of a jailed child in Pozantı prison in 2009 have been acquitted. The news has been written by the newspaper Radikal.16 year-old Yasin Akyüz from Mardin was murdered in B-10 ward of Pozantı Juvenile prison on 15 August 2009 for allegedly refusing to obey an order by the head of the ward.
The ward head H.A. asked Yasin to take an empty box in the rubbish bin, Yasin refused and this led to his death by the ward head and some other children who lent him assistance. During Yasin’s being brutally beaten in the ward, prisoner M.E.Y. instructed O.B. to guard the door and to inform them in the event of any movement.

Following a warning from O.B., murderer M.E.Y. put his belt on Yasin Akyüz’s throat and tightened it while the ward head H.A. pressed Yasin’s throat with his foot. Yasin Akyüz lost his life after a short while.

According to news by Radikal, 13 children who were involved in the murder were sued after the event. Six of them were punished for not reporting the crime and seven for “killing intentionally”.

On the grounds of “misconducting the duty”, Public Prosecutor of Pozantı also opened a case against seven guardians who were on duty at the night of the event.

The accusation by the Public Prosecutor said that “the suspected remained insensitive to the unusual activity in the ward and nonperformed their supervision obligations”.

While guardians defended that they had no chance to hear the voices in wards unless they heard a strong knock at the ward door, Ö.V. who was punished for not reporting the crime contradicted to guardians’ argument; “Guardians used to come into the wards when they heard voices of even a fight or beating. On the other hand, they used to ask us to turn down the volume of TV when its sound was loud.”

Following the approval of guardians’ argument by an expert's report, the file of the case was once again taken to the court of appeals after an objection was raised to the decision of acquittal of officers.

Tarsus IHD (Human Rights Association) Chair Lawyer Abdulselam Duran underlined that not a particular emphasis was put on this event and added; “Children wouldn’t be harassed and raped today if those misconducting their duty had been punished at the right time.”

ANF /
ANF NEWS AGENCY