Two sentenced to 21 years in prison by a north Cyprus court for raping a Moroccan national in prison

Two individuals were on Monday sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison for raping and tearing the anus of a 21-year-old Moroccan national who was awaiting trial in Prison.

The defendants, Aydın Güner and İbrahim Takcılar, both Turkish nationals were given the prison sentence by a Lefkosia court on Monday, May 6.

The rape incident happened on February 10, 2023 and was noticed when a worker who was carrying out electrical work in the prison noticed the victim's situation while checking the wards and told the guard.

The sergeant on duty at the prison spoke to the victim TB who was raped by İbrahim Uçar, Hasan Takıcılar, Aydın Güner and İbrahim Takcılar.

The four suspects were arrested and investigation launched on the rape incident.  

Police said two of the defendants, Hasan Takcılar and İbrahim Uçar, admitted their crimes and were tried and sentenced to prison. The other two accused did not accept the accusations and a hearing was held. 

During the hearing, two doctors, a psychologist, and an expert from the Ankara Criminal Branch were heard as witnesses, and when looking at the facts that these witnesses conveyed to the court, they supported the claims of TB, who said that he was raped.

The judge said two other prisoners, AB and İ.E., who are in ward C-2 who's statements were also taken said they both heard İbrahim Uçar, Hasan Takıcılar, Aydın Güner and İbrahim Tanıcılar talking about anal and oral sexual assault on TB, and that they also saw that the victim was in a bad condition.

The judge said that they evaluated the testimony given by all the prosecution witnesses in court as a whole, and that it confirmed what TB said about rape and assault.

The judge said all the facts and evidence conveyed to the court revealed that the suspects put a cloth in TB's mouth, held his hands and feet, and took turn to rape him on the night.

Stating that the defendants should be given a punishment commensurate with the gravity of the crime, the judge stated that the defendants caused the victim to experience great pain by putting a cloth over his mouth, holding his hands and feet, and raping him until his anus was torn.

The judge also emphasized that sexual crimes are becoming increasingly common stating that the defendants committed the crime in question in a grave manner at the highest level by pressuring and tormenting the victim and violating his sexual immunity. 

The judge further explained that the defendants committed such a crime in prison, which is a place where they should be reformed. Noting that the defendants were young people but the victim was also a young person who experienced such an event in a foreign country and was seriously traumatized. 

The judge said that the other 2 defendants involved in the incident were sentenced to 18 years in prison, and that those defendants admitted their crimes and contributed to the early delivery of justice, but the defendants present did not accept the accusations and did not contribute to the early delivery of justice.

After evaluating all the facts, the judge announced that they sentenced the defendants to 21 years in prison.