In the first hearing of the lawsuit, Asena Melisa Sağlam (21) stated that she has been continuously threatened on social media. The incident occurred on June 14 on a minibus in İstanbul’s Pendik district, where the young university student was attacked by a man who made angry remarks about her clothes.
The young woman said that she has received many messages on social media including threats by people who support the assailant. In the hearing that was followed by the Association of a Left Stance in Law, Sağlam said that the assailant had shouted at her saying that she could not wear shorts during Ramadan, then struck her in the face. The defendant Ercan Kızıltaş, on the other hand, said he regretted what he had done and apologized.
Recently in Turkey, attacks on women because of their choice of dressing or life style have happened frequently. In İzmir, one of the most modern cities in Turkey, two women were beaten last week by the police after they asked for help upon being subject to sexual harassment. An investigation had been launched into two police officers after the incident.
