26.08.2026 15:00
The expert opinion added to the investigation file of Rojin Kabaiş, whose lifeless body was found in Van 18 days after she disappeared, has revealed a scandal. It was determined that while search efforts were ongoing, the phone, whose password could not even be unlocked in Spain and China, was remotely accessed and wiped via her Google account, and that a 'device erase' operation had been carried out.
The expert opinion included in the investigation file regarding the death of university student Rojin Kabaiş, whose body was found 18 days after she went missing in Van in 2024, has broken new ground. It was revealed that the mobile phone, whose password could not be cracked despite being sent to Spain and China, was remotely erased via her Google account while the young girl was still being searched.
Rojin Kabaiş, a student at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Department of Child Development, went missing after leaving her dormitory on September 27, 2024, and her body was found on the shore of Lake Van on October 15, 2024, following 18 days of searches. The activity records sent by Xiaomi regarding the mobile phone, which is the most critical piece of evidence in the investigation, came to light with the expert opinion submitted to the investigation file.
THE PHONE'S PASSWORD COULD NOT BE CRACKED IN SPAIN AND CHINA
According to the news by Ufuk Sepetçi from Cumhuriyet; within the scope of the investigation, international-level technical diplomacy was carried out to access the data on Rojin Kabaiş's mobile phone:
- Spain Mission: The phone sent to Spain in February with the initiatives of the Ministry of Justice could not be unlocked.
- China Examination: The phone was sent to China, where the manufacturer company is located, on April 30. In the 6-page technical report from China, it was also warned that the device could not be accessed and that forced interventions could completely erase all data.
ACCOUNT ACCESSED FOUR DAYS AFTER SHE WENT MISSING
While the device itself could not be physically opened, the digital activity records from the manufacturer Xiaomi revealed a striking picture. According to the expert opinion, four days after Kabaiş went missing (October 1, 2024), the Google account registered on the device was accessed via an SMS sent to the phone through an IP address.
"DEVICE ERASE" PROCESS CARRIED OUT ON OCTOBER 10
While Rojin Kabaiş was still missing and search efforts were ongoing, a "Delete Device" record was created on the phone linked to the account on October 10, 2024. The details included in the expert opinion further deepened the scale of the incident:
- Van Connection: It was determined that the IP address where the device erase process occurred was associated with Van in the examinations.
- VPN Suspicion and Czech IP: In the log records dated the same day, it was observed that a login and authentication were made over another IP address appearing to originate from the Czech Republic, followed by the statement "Successful - Device erase process" in the system. It was assessed that the Czech IP might have been masked using a VPN.
- Crime Laboratory Detail: The opinion included the assessment that the said deletion processes coincided with the period when the phone was at the Van Gendarmerie Crime Laboratory.