Forty women lodge complaints with special unit

FORTY women lodged complaints with a special police unit in the first nine days after it was established to combat domestic violence.

The women made their complaints either by calling the new 155 helpline or by contacting the unit via local police stations between November 26 and Tuesday, said Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman, who highlighted that 22 of the calls had been from women in Lefkoşa, with the remainder coming from Gazimağusa, Girne, Güzelyurt and İskele.

“I call on women with violence-related complaints to call the helpline,” said Dr Erhürman.

The revelation came after three new cases of alleged domestic violence were brought before Lefkoşa District Court on Monday.

A man who was charged with defying a restraining order and threatening to kill his ex-wife after confronting her in a nightclub was released by the court on 10,000TL cash bail and a 100,000TL surety. The travel documents of Eşref Erensu were confiscated and he is to report to police once a week.

A student at Girne American University, Hüseyin Karakeleş, also appeared at the court on Monday after allegedly having grabbed his wife by the throat, dragged her to the floor and then hit her head on a table because she asked him a question about a neighbour. Karakeleş was released on 10,000TL bail, his travel documents were confiscated and he is to report to police once a week. Asked if he wished to address the court, he said: “I did not threaten my wife and I did not beat her up, either. I just want to divorce her.”

Another university student, foreign national Paul Omagiade, was accused of beating his 20-yearold girlfriend in a car after parking it outside a restaurant in the Hamitköy district of Lefkoşa. Omagiade was also granted conditional bail.