A police department in İzmir province, Turkey, has launched an investigation after footage emerged showing police beating two women after they sought help after being subjected to a sexual assault. The incident, which occurred late on Friday, was captured on CCTV.
According to local press reports, the women filed an official complaint on Saturday and the police department are taking the allegations seriously.
Report: Police officers batter two İzmir women for ‘dressing up inconveniently’ || https://t.co/YZy6Yqb1rh pic.twitter.com/G1qK64yEPt
— Turkey Purge (@TurkeyPurge) August 13, 2017
One of the victims of the attack told local media that the police had blamed the women’s choice of clothing for the sexual assault they were attempting to report. In the footage, the women are seen approaching the police and speaking, before being attacked.
Turkey has been the focus of much media coverage recently as reports continue to emerge of police harassment and a general government crackdown on secular and democratic values. Many Turkish women have been protesting what they see as a slide into Islamist dictatorship under the Erdogan regime which has led to increased policing of their lifestyles and clothing choices.
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