21.10.2025 14:27
In the Selçuk district of İzmir, a decision was made not to impose a sentence on Sinem Melisa Akcan, who faced up to 20 years in prison for the charge of 'causing the death of multiple people through conscious negligence' related to a fire that claimed the lives of her 5 children. Akcan stated, "When I think of the smell of my children, the scent of the earth comes to my mind. I am finished, I have disappeared."
Living in a single-story house in the Cumhuriyet Mahallesi Tavşantepe area, Melisa Akcan, whose husband Hakan Akcan is in prison for a crime and who supports her family by collecting scrap, left her 5 children at home and went out to collect scrap on November 11 last year around 19:00. A fire broke out after the stove in the house tipped over. As the flames quickly engulfed the house, the siblings Aras Bulut Akcan (1), Masal Işık Akcan (2), Aslan Miraç Akcan (3), Funda Peri Akcan (4), and Fadime Nefes Akcan (5) were trapped inside. Neighbors alerted the 112 Emergency Call Center, and fire, police, and medical teams were dispatched to the address. The fire was extinguished by the teams' intervention.
THEY WERE BURIED SIDE BY SIDE It was determined that 3 of the 5 children removed from the house died from poisoning. The 2 injured children could not be saved at the hospital they were taken to. In the initial investigation regarding the fire, it was found that the door was locked. Melisa Akcan, who suffered a nervous breakdown from the pain of losing her children and was treated at the hospital she was taken to, was taken to the police station for her statement after being discharged. Melisa Akcan, who was referred to the courthouse, was released under judicial control conditions. The funerals of the 5 siblings were buried side by side the next day at Acarlar Cemetery.
INDICTMENT ACCEPTED The investigation launched after the incident has been completed. The indictment stated that Sinem Melisa Akcan put her children to sleep, turned on the electric heater, and left the house to collect scrap. It was emphasized that, considering the ages of the children, it was foreseeable that they could tip over the heater or that the heater could tip over and cause a fire in the ordinary course of life, and it was necessary to accept that Akcan foresaw the resulting outcome even though she did not want it. The indictment stated that the suspect was responsible for the deaths of her own children. An indictment was prepared against Akcan for the crime of 'causing the death of multiple people through conscious negligence' with a request for up to 20 years in prison. It was requested that the mitigating circumstances be applied due to Akcan's family situation, and the indictment was submitted to the court. The indictment was accepted by the Torbalı Heavy Penal Court.
FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF A JUDGE Defendant Sinem Melisa Akcan appeared before a judge for the first time today. Akcan and the attorneys for both parties attended the hearing held at the Torbalı Heavy Penal Court. In her defense, Akcan stated that she went through psychologically difficult days after the incident. Akcan said, "I turned on one wire of the electric heater so that the children wouldn't get cold when I left the house. I was outside for about 20 minutes. I had collected scrap and left it behind the house a day before. On the day of the incident, I took the scrap to the buyer. I received 400 lira in cash and 400 lira in bank transfer. To be quick, I didn't even take part of the money in cash. After the death of my children, I received psychiatric and psychological treatment. I continue my life with medication," she said.
"IF I HADN'T LEFT THE HOUSE, I COULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT FOOD" Akcan stated that the smallest child might have tipped over the stove, saying, "The stove had never tipped over before. I had put all my children to sleep before leaving the house. If I hadn't left the house, I wouldn't have been able to bring food home. I think the youngest one wasn't fully asleep. I put them all to sleep, but he was in a half-asleep state. He might have tipped it over. My children were not very naughty. They would tip things over while playing with each other. I loved them very much. I wouldn't want anything like this to happen to them. There was definitely no bad intention or negligence on my part. I just turned on the electric heater so they wouldn't get cold. They were already sick, and I didn't want them to get any colder," she expressed.
FATHER DID NOT FILE A COMPLAINT Hasan Akcan, the father who is in prison for another crime after Sinem Melisa Akcan, participated in the trial via SEGBİS. Akcan, who did not file a complaint against his wife, said, "My wife did not act with bad intentions. She was trying to take care of and raise the children. I have no complaints." Akcan's lawyer, Cengiz Serttaş, also requested the acquittal of his client.
After the defenses, the prosecution stated that all evidence had been collected and presented its opinion on the merits. In the opinion, it was requested that the defendant be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for the crime of 'causing the death of multiple people through conscious negligence,' and it was also stated that mitigating circumstances should be applied.
"I AM FINISHED, I HAVE DISAPPEARED" Regarding the opinion on the merits, the defendant Akcan said, "When I think of the smell of my children, the smell of the earth comes to my mind. I am finished, I have disappeared."
After the defenses, the decision was announced. The panel, which decided that Akcan did not have conscious negligence in the incident, ruled that Akcan was saddened by the death of the children and that there was no need for punishment. The panel also lifted the judicial control measures on Akcan.