Şırnex- On September 3, 2021, seven-year-old Miraç Miroğlu was hit and killed by an armored police vehicle in the Turgut Özal neighborhood of Şırnak’s İdil district. An investigation was launched against police officer M.K., the driver of the armored vehicle, on charges of “reckless homicide”.

A report prepared by the Turkish Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) into the incident has found that the driver M.K. was not at fault and concluded that the incident occurred because Miraç Miroğlu did not stop on the street, where there was a ‘Stop’ warning sign. The report said that he was killed because he entered the way while the armored vehicle had the right of way.

Bike broken into pieces

According to the indictment prepared as part of the investigation launched by the İdil Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, police officers M.K. and M.G. went to Miroğlu Hotel in the district at around 18.10 after a fight was reported. When the police officers found no fight at the hotel, they decided to return to the police station. On the way, the armored vehicle driven by M.K. hit and killed Miraç Miroğlu, who was riding a bicycle. The bike of Miraç Miroğlu was broken into pieces as a result of the crash; some of the pieces were later found on the roofs of houses.

The report accused Miraç Miroğlu, police officer accused the armored vehicle mirrors

While the report prepared by the ATK has found that the police officer was not at fault, it has found that Miraç Miroğlu was “primary negligent”. In his statement, the police officer M.K. said, “I slowed down and checked my left and right. Since the vehicle was an armored vehicle and had wire-mesh on its windows, we could not see very well. It was impossible for me to see the child.”

Judicial control decision issued against the accused was lifted!

After the report was added in the murder file, the court lifted the judicial control decision that had been issued against the police officer M.K. The lawyers of the Miraçoğlu family will object to the second report prepared by the ATK. The fourth hearing of the trial will be held on February 14, 2023 by the Idil Criminal Court of First Instance.

According to the 2021 report of the Human Rights Association, 42 people, including 20 children, were killed by armored vehicles in Türkiye in the last 13 years. In the investigations and proceedings, the drivers of the armored vehicles were protected.