Tragedy in Turkey: Family sentenced for premeditated murder
The trial has concluded in Turkey for the family members of an 8-year-old girl whose body was found in September. The girl's mother, brother, and uncle were sentenced to life imprisonment for "premeditated murder."
The body of Narin Guran was discovered in a stream in southeastern Turkey. The girl went missing on August 21 when she left for Quran lessons. Her body was found on September 8, about half a mile from her village.
Narin's mother, brother, and uncle, who was the head of the village authorities, were sentenced to life imprisonment for "premeditated murder committed in cooperation." A fourth suspect, Nevzat Bahtiyar, confessed to participating in the crime and received a 4.5-year prison sentence.
- After the missing Narin Güran was murdered, she was put in a sack and brought to a stream. It was covered with tree branches and stones so as not to arouse suspicion - said Murat Zorluoglu, the governor of Diyarbakir province.
Child murder in Turkey: shocking background
According to the Bianet service, Nevzat Bahtiyar testified that on the day of the disappearance, Narin's uncle brought her body wrapped in a blanket and instructed him to "dispose of it," giving him 200,000 lira ($5,700).
The Turkish service Duvar reported that the uncle strangled Narin because she witnessed him being intimate with her mother.
Narin's death triggered a wave of protests in Turkey. Participants in the demonstrations demanded better protection for children and criticized the authorities for their sluggishness in the search.
