Turkish police sexually assaulted detainee during Boğaziçi protests, student reports
A student identified only as E.Ç. reported being sexually assaulted by a police officer during their detention in the Boğaziçi University protests on Feb. 2. Students also reported being sexually assaulted by police in detention earlier during the protests against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rector appointment to the prestigious university.
Hacı Bişkin / DUVAR
A university student detained during the demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rector appointment to Boğaziçi University, E.Ç., reported enduring sexual assaults from police officers during their detention.
The Istanbul University student was detained on Feb. 2 along with hundreds of others in both Istanbul and Ankara and experienced sexual assault, physical battery and abuse like many others.
Two officers dragged E.Ç. near the police vehicle, and a group of officers, both in uniform and civilians, encircled a small group of detainees near the vehicle, where someone grabbed E.Ç., they said.
"I turned around immediately and saw that there were only four officers in civilian attire behind me, and I told them to step away from me. The two officers holding my arms did nothing when I told them the others grabbed me," E.Ç. said.
The two members of the police holding E.Ç. back fended off another comment that the other officers had grabbed E.Ç. and proceeded to sexually assault E.Ç. himself.
"The officer holding my arm tried to handcuff me in the back by pressing his leg between my legs. My woman friend spoke up and told him to move his leg," E.Ç. said.
E.Ç.'s attorney saıd that they petitioned for an investigation to identify the police officers who attacked their client on charges of sexual assault.
Turkish police sexually assaulted protesters they detained during the Boğaziçi University protests earlier in the year, with one student reporting being threatened specifically for being gay.