Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
This is the moment a 22-year-old Turkish woman is violently bundled into a car and kidnapped in front of her terrified parents by her abusive husband who she has spent nine months trying to divorce.
A security camera captured the moment Silan Topal, 22, was allegedly kidnapped by her husband Mithat Topal, whose age wasn’t stated, in Istanbul’s Sisli district in Turkey on Wednesday (8th September).
Local media reports that Topal turned up at Silan’s family home where she had been living with her parents for the past nine months after she initiated divorce proceedings against Topal, who she has been married to for seven years.
Topal arrived at the house to find his wife and her family sat outside, he allegedly grabbed her and then as seen in the footage dragged her over to a taxi and violently threw her inside.
The 22-year-old’s father, Abdulhamit Narman, tried to grab his daughter but Topal was able to push him away and the taxi driver followed the suspected kidnapper’s orders and drove off into the night.
Hediye Ozcelik, Silan’s friend who was with the family at the time, told news site DHA: “We were sitting outside the house when suddenly a car came and stopped in front of us.”
Hediye added: “Silan immediately ran inside. He grabbed her and forced her into the car. I followed them but I couldn’t do anything.”
According to the local news site duvaR, Topal is suspected of several violent crimes including rape, kidnapping, and gender violence.
Topal’s aunt, who wasn’t named, said: “She [Silan] has been through so much over the years. Does she have to be killed before the police take action?”
The hashtag #silannerede (where is Sila) started to trend on Twitter in response to the incident with Netizens calling on authorities to find the missing woman and criticising them for failing to protect her from her allegedly abusive husband.
DHA reported that Silan and Topal have a young child who Topal kidnapped two months ago following a custody hearing.
It’s not clear if the child is a boy or a girl but local media reports that Silan hasn’t seen her child since the incident.
The police investigation found that Silan was taken to a house in the district of Gaziosmanpasa.
The police raided the house and rescued her from Topal yesterday (9th September).
Topal, who is suspected of kidnapping the young woman, and an unnamed person who helped him, have been taken into custody.
Silan, who testified at the police station and then spoke to a series of local journalists, said: “I just want my child back.”
It is unclear what the current location is of the child.
The investigation is ongoing.
