Journalist Evrim Kepenek faces trial for reporting on child's death, denies violating confidentiality order
Journalist Evrim Kepenek, an editor at Bianet, appeared in court to face charges of "violating the confidentiality of an investigation" over her reporting on the death of a 2-year-old child, which was suspected to be due to sexual abuse. The second hearing of the trial took place at the Büyükçekmece 9th Criminal Court of First Instance.
The case dates back to 2022, when Kepenek reported on the child's death after consulting a doctor and verifying details through official channels. At the time, no confidentiality order was in place.
Kepenek defends her journalistic integrity
During the hearing, Kepenek, who has been a journalist for 20 years, emphasized her commitment to ethical journalism, particularly when it comes to sensitive issues involving women and children. She explained that she had been informed of the suspicious death by a doctor from the Turkish Medical Association but refrained from publishing the story until she had corroborated the information.
“When I published the report, no confidentiality order had been issued. The order came on September 10, 2022, and I refrained from reporting on the matter after that,” Kepenek stated.
Defense argues for acquittal
Kepenek’s lawyer, Deniz Yazgan Şenay, argued that Kepenek’s report did not violate any laws, as it did not include personal details about the child and was based on publicly available information. Şenay stressed that the conditions for the alleged crime were not met.
Supporting the defense, lawyer Emine Özhasar from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) emphasized that the report concerned a matter of public interest and was a legitimate exercise of Kepenek’s right to free speech and the public's right to know.
Next steps
The court decided to send the case to the prosecutor for the preparation of the final opinion and adjourned the trial to January 24, 2025. Kepenek and her defense team are seeking full acquittal, arguing that the charges should never have been brought in the first place.
