Cops who beat woman now on duty in Istanbul, court reveals
ISTANBUL
Fevziye Cengiz. DHA Photo
Local police officers who were caught on camera beating a detained woman have been relocated and are now working in Istanbul, daily Radikal reported.An İzmir court had ruled that it lacked jurisdiction in the case but indicated that the three police officers should be tried on charges of torture. The case was then passed to the court for serious crimes.
The disciplinary investigation conducted by the İzmir Police Department, however, punished the officers with a minor pay cut of 360 Turkish Liras and suspended their promotional progress for one year.
The relocation was revealed when the lawyers for the beaten woman, Fevziye Cengiz, asked the court to ban the officers from work during the court case to ensure the safety of Cengiz and her family.
Police officers detained Cengiz while she was spending time with her family at an entertainment venue on the grounds that she did not have an identity card on her.
Cengiz was later beaten at the Karabağlar Police Station.
Footage of the beating surfaced after the incident in December 2011, leading to a public outcry and causing İzmir Gov. Mustafa Cahit Kıraç to issue an official apology.
