Turkish Cypriot court convicts man of homophobic crime for first time — Cyprus Mail
A Turkish Cypriot district court in Trikomo, Cyprus, has for the first time handed down a conviction in a case involving a homophobic hate crime. On September 24, a man, Ergun Sunmez, was sentenced to a total of six months in prison, with one month imposed for an offence against Berna Numan, Cyprus Mail reports, citing Bugun Kibris.
Case circumstances
According to Bugun Kibris, in September 2023, Sunmez came to the apartment of his former wife, Pinar Tas, in Trikomo. The outlet reported that he physically attacked and threatened Tas, as well as directing homophobic insults at Numan, who was in the apartment at the time.
The court found that the statements directed at Numan, which it assessed could also be heard outside the apartment, constituted a separate offence from the insults and threats directed at Tas. The court noted that a general intent to commit an offence is insufficient to classify an act as a hate crime: a specific motive connected to prejudice or hatred toward a person's sexual orientation is required.
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Sentence and legal context
In its ruling, the court concluded that Sunmez's statements were not merely insults made during an argument, but were intended to publicly humiliate and marginalize Numan because of her sexual orientation. According to Bugun Kibris, five months of the six-month sentence were imposed for the attack on Tas, while one additional month was imposed for the hate crime against Numan.
Ozgur Gazete previously reported that Sunmez and Tas had divorced five months before the incident. After the event, Tas filed a complaint over physical assault and received a medical report documenting the incident.
The Turkish Cypriot administration legalized same-sex sexual relations on February 7, 2014, while simultaneously introducing anti-discrimination provisions. Cyprus Mail notes that it was the last administration in Europe to take this step. At the same time, same-sex couples there do not have legal recognition or the right to adopt children.
