Parents on trial after 14-year-old killed 10 at Kahramanmaras school
Ugur Mersinli and his wife appeared in court as prosecutors seek long prison terms over the April attack that left ten dead.
Trial opened yesterday for the parents of the 14-year-old who killed ten people at a school in southeastern Turkey, with the defendants telling the court they had no idea their son was planning an attack.
The parents, police chief inspector Ugur Mersinli and his wife Peyman Pinar, appeared before a court in Kahramanmaras over the April shooting. Their son, then an eighth-grade pupil, carried out the attack and killed nine students and one teacher; the attacker also died during the incident and the motive remains unclear.
Prosecutors outline charges and requested penalties
Prosecutors are seeking ten consecutive life sentences plus up to 30 years in prison for the father. They allege he knew about his son's psychological problems and his interest in firearms, but failed to act — including permitting him to shoot at a firing range and keeping several weapons in an accessible place at home.
The mother faces up to 22.5 years behind bars on charges that she did not respond to warnings that her son needed treatment.
The hearing marks the start of a legal process that will weigh the parents' degree of responsibility for the killings and examine the evidence about what the family knew and what steps, if any, they took before the shooting.
Court proceedings are expected to continue as investigators and prosecutors present testimony and documentary evidence about the family background, the teenager's behaviour and how he obtained access to weapons.
Photo: АП)
