Prosecutors drop knife possession case in teen's murder

ISTANBUL

Authorities have ruled there are no legal grounds to pursue charges against a teenager for carrying the knife used to fatally stab a 15-year-old Italian-Turkish boy earlier this year, determining the weapon was not prohibited under existing laws.

A teen, only identified by initials B.B., stabbed Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi five times in a seemingly unprovoked attack in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district on Jan. 24. Minguzzi died in the hospital 15 days later.

The incident led to criminal proceedings against both B.B. and another suspect, U.B., who reportedly kicked Minguzzi during the attack. Both teens are already on trial for “deliberately killing a child,” with prosecutors seeking prison sentences ranging from 18 to 24 years.

During the trial, a secondary investigation was opened into whether B.B. violated laws on illegal weapons.

Forensic analysis by the crime police laboratory in Istanbul found that the knife measured 10.3 centimeters and did not meet the legal criteria to be classified as a prohibited weapon under Turkish law.

Prosecutors said the legal conditions for prosecuting B.B. for unlawful possession of a weapon were not met, and formally dropped the investigation.

The Justice Ministry responded to public criticism of the decision on May 21, clarifying that although the knife was not considered illegal in form, it was still a crime weapon due to its use in the killing.

The ministry said only knives with specific shapes and lengths are classified as prohibited items, adding that this determination is based on technical specifications defined by law.