Aggravated life sentences for Turkish student’s killers

MERSIN, Turkey

A Turkish court in southern Mersin province has awarded aggravated life sentences to all three convicts involved in the murder of a young female university student, Ozgecan Aslan, whose death sparked an outrage across the country.

Aslan, 19, was killed on Feb. 13 while she reportedly resisted sexual assault in a minibus in Mersin. Later, the attackers burnt her body and her charred remains were found two days after she was reported missing.

The penal court found the minibus driver, Ahmet Suphi Altindoken, his father Necmettin Altindoken and his friend Fatih Gokce guilty.

Soon after the incident, nationwide demonstrations were held to protest Aslan’s murder, which especially garnered strong reactions from women's rights activists, asking for stricter laws to prevent violence against women.

On Feb. 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will do its best to get the severest punishment for the murderers of the female student. Interrupted by a female mukhtar during his speech who asked how she would send her granddaughters to school after this incident, Erdogan had replied: "No hesitation. We will crack down on it".