Porno Defense Doesn't Spare Killer

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(Mynet Website, 23 April 2012)

In Bursa, Yusuf Özcan (41) stabbed his wife Arzu Civil, whom he had
divorced but was living with, in 22 places, killing her, and got a
sentence of 18 years in jail.However, a higher court found the sentence
to be too light and when Özcan came before a judge again he was
sentenced to life imprisonment for 'intentionally killing another person'.

The incident in question occurred in August 2008 in the Ovaakça district
of  Osmangazi when Özcan, a worker in a textile workshop stabbed Arzu
Civil, the mother of his two children whom he had divorced but was living
with, in 22 places with a bread knife, killing her. Özcan fled but subsequently
surrendered to the Gendarmerie, while Civil was brought to the Muradiye
State Hospital, where she died.

In the statement he gave, Özcan said that he was drunk the night of the
incident and that he killed his wife for having relations with another person.
This time Özcan was tried in the Bursa 5th Serious Crimes Court. In previous
hearings Özcan had claimed that he did not intend to kill his wife, explaining
that 'a woman, whose face wasn't shown, in a porno film I watched was wearing
a faded sweater and a turban like Arzu. Her voice sounded like Arzu's, too. I
put these images on my cellphone and showed them to her. We argued and
fought and went to court. I divorced Arzu, who was pregnant, but we began
to live together again so the child wouldn't be without a father. On the day
of the incident we argued about the images again. When she said some
inciting words I lost it, grabbed the knife and started stabbing without
thinking. My aim was not to kill her.'

Özcan was at first given a life sentence but then the court accepted that Özcan
had been provoked because the form and clothes of the woman in the porno
film resembled those of Civil  and because Civil had referred to  Özcan
insultingly as a  'pimp' during their argument. Özcan's sentence was therefore
reduced to 18 years. The higher court found his sentence 'insufficient' and
voided the lower court's decision. When brought before the higher court
Özcan claimed that he had killed Civil because she had insulted him.
Nevertheless, the higher court sentenced Özcan to life imprisonment.