Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Turkish woman 'strangled son' because she thought his large ears were ruining his life

The mother said her son had suffered from years of bullying

Kashmira Gander
Wednesday 18 February 2015 15:50 EST
Comments
The woman complained that the surgeon
The woman complained that the surgeon (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A mother in Turkey has been charged with murder after she allegedly strangled her 10-year-old son, because she thought his large ears were ruining his life.

Nuray Sacan, 37, paid for her son’s cosmetic surgery at Gazi Hospital in the Turkish capital of Ankara, after he suffered years of bullying.

Following the procedure, she complained to staff that she was unsatisfied with the results.

She then took the young boy to the women’s toilets at the hospital, where she allegedly strangled him with a scarf.

As she apparently fled the hospital, she crashed her car into another vehicle, and was taken back to hospital.

At the facility, she is believed to have confessed to killing her son and told staff that his ears had “become even bigger” and he was “very ugly.

“He would have felt even more ashamed in front of his friends. I did it to save him such embarrassment,” she added, News.com.au reported.

Dr Metin Yilmaz, the surgeon at the hospital who carried out the operation, said he was “astonished” by the woman’s response, adding that the operation was a “complete success” and the boy was due to go home.

Gazi Hospital Chief Surgeon Dr Kadri Altok said they were unaware whether Sacan had any psychological problems, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Not naming Sacan, Police spokesman Alper Tore confirmed that a 37-year-old woman is in custody over the death of her son.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in