Bride-to-be, 12, Kidnapped by Married Neighbor

Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1February 2014)


             Unlikely couple.

When rumors spread that a 12 year-old middle
school girl would be married off at the end of
the school, she was kidnapped by a married
neighbor, who already has one child. F.U. (!), the
girl in question, goes to Zeybekler Middle School
in the next village over from her own, Olgunlar
village, in Izmir's far eastern Kiraz district.

The rumor was that "when school's over they're
going to marry F.U. to her cousin". Hearing this,
neighbor Muammer Kaygısız (30) began to plan
to kidnap the girl. On 5 January, F.U., unaware
of the marriage plan, was forceably taken by
Kaygısız when she went to fetch water from a
fountain that evening.

F.U.'s father Hüseyin U. became worried when
his daughter did not come home that evening and
informed the Gendarmerie. No trace was found,
however, and soon after Kaygısız's disappearance
was noticed, as well.  The Gendarmerie then
determined that F.U. had been kidnapped by
Kaygısız.

A day later, Kaygısız, whose own son is 5 years
old, called his brother to say that "if I didn't
kidnap her they would have given her to her
cousin. I won't let anyone else have her." In
the intervening 42 days neither F.U. nor Kaygısız
have been heard from.

F.U.'s aunt Fatma Özer stated that "there's been no
word from my neice since then. The family is worried."
Uncle Mehmet U., to whose son F.U. was supposed to
be married to, stated that "there's talk like that in every
household. My elderly mother said something to that
effect but there's nothing serious about it. Neither I
nor my son have any idea about (marrying F.U.)"

Kaygısız's brother Ali noted that "F.U. is mature for
her age. My older brother called me a day after the
incident and said that he had to do it, otherwise 'they'll
give her to her cousin'. He didn't call again. He should
give himself up."


    Kiraz district is in Izmir's far east.