The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Turkish authorities to pay damages of 36,500 euros to a woman whose mother was murdered by her ex-husband. This is the first time the court has ruled against a state for failing to protect a citizen against domestic violence.

The court heard that the mother and daughter had told the authorities several times that they had been threatened with death by the man. They had also appealed for protection from him four times between 1998 and 2002. The last time they did so was one month before the man shot the mother dead.
 

Although the man was later found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Turkish court, he has now been released from prison pending an appeal. He was released on the grounds that he committed murder to protect his family’s honour. He is reported to have continued harassing his ex-wife.