Ninety-seven of the women are Kurds, four are Roma, one is Bulgarian and one is German. They are rarely brought to justice. In 1999 Amnesty International documented a general climate of impunity for torturers. N.C.S. Following a public outcry and international campaigning, four police officers were put on trial for torture. The two young women were transferred to a prison in Istanbul to enable them to receive psychiatric examinations and treatment.
Psychiatric reports corroborate the young women' torture allegations.
A report stated that they suffer from chronic PTSD, but also from a major depression. The doctors conclude that both women experienced a trauma and that they need treatment. The psychiatric reports were apparently prepared in October 2000. Yet, according to recent information, the court in Iskenderun which is hearing the trial of the four police officers has still not received original copies of these reports. Psychiatric reports are crucial for the investigation of the allegations of torture and especially of rape and sexual abuse for which physical medical evidence can only be obtained shortly after the violent act took place.