28.11.2025 16:41
The 18-year-old killer who shot and killed 15-year-old Duru Pakarda in the schoolyard in Edirne has been sentenced to a total of 27 years and 4 months in prison for two different crimes. No reductions were applied to the sentence for 'unjust provocation' or 'good behavior'.
In Edirne, K.C.A. (18), the defendant in the case of the murder of Duru Pakarda (15), who was shot dead in the schoolyard, was sentenced to a total of 27 years and 4 months in prison. The defendant was not granted reductions for 'unjust provocation' and 'good behavior'. The trial of K.C.A., who was arrested after the incident, took place at the Edirne 3rd High Criminal Court.
MURDERED 15-YEAR-OLD DURU IN THE SCHOOLYARD
The incident occurred on August 17 of last year around 02:00 in the garden of Gaziosmanpaşa Middle School in the Fatih neighborhood. K.C.A., from a group of five friends sitting in the schoolyard, took out the gun he had brought with him. K.C.A. showed the gun to his friends and started playing with it. At that moment, a bullet fired from the gun hit Duru Pakarda in the chest.
As Pakarda collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood, health and police teams were dispatched to the scene upon the notification of her friends. Duru Pakarda was taken to Trakya University Medical Faculty Hospital by ambulance but could not be saved. While the police detained high school student K.C.A., they also took statements from those present at the scene. The suspect K.C.A. was arrested after the procedures.
UP TO 32 YEARS IN PRISON SOUGHT
The Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared a 9-page indictment regarding the incident. In the indictment accepted by the Edirne 3rd High Criminal Court, an aggravated life sentence was initially sought for K.C.A. for the crime of 'intentional murder'. Since K.C.A. was under 18 at the time of the crime, the indictment requested that his sentence be reduced to between 18 and 24 years, and also sought a prison sentence of 5 to 8 years for 'possessing an unlicensed firearm', totaling a request for imprisonment of 23 to 32 years. It was noted that the suspect K.C.A. was 17 years old at the time the murder was committed.
DEFENDANT: THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AS AN ACCIDENT
The trial of the detained defendant K.C.A. continued at the Edirne 3rd High Criminal Court. Duru Pakarda's father, Cem Pakarda, and mother, Sıla Lale, along with the attorneys for both parties, attended the hearing. The defendant K.C.A. participated in the hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS) from the prison where he was held. While witnesses were heard during the trial, the defendant K.C.A. stated that the incident occurred accidentally and expressed his regret. After a short recess, the court panel sentenced K.C.A. to an aggravated life sentence.
SENTENCED TO 27 YEARS IN PRISON
Subsequently, the panel converted this sentence to the maximum limit of 24 years in prison due to the fact that the defendant was one month short of turning 18 at the time of the crime. The panel did not apply reductions for 'unjust provocation' and 'good behavior', and also imposed a prison sentence of 3 years and 4 months for the serious offense of 'possessing an unlicensed firearm'. The defendant was sentenced to a total of 27 years and 4 months in prison.
"MY ONLY WISH IS THAT THIS SENTENCE BRINGS SOME COMFORT TO THE FAMILY"
Duru's family's lawyer, Süleyman Eren, thanked the court panel for the decision. Eren stated, "As a lawyer, I personally thank the court panel. It was a very healthy and conscious trial. As a result of the trial, he received an aggravated life sentence. Due to his young age, his sentence had to be reduced to between 18 and 24 years. We requested that this sentence be set at 24 years due to both the Supreme Court decisions and moral feelings. Indeed, the panel made a decision in this direction. He received a 24-year prison sentence for the murder charge. In addition, for the serious offense of possessing an unlicensed firearm, he was given a sentence of 5 years from the range of 5 to 8 years. Of course, as always, a one-third reduction was made due to his young age. In total, he has a sentence of 27 years and 4 months. My only wish is that this sentence brings a little comfort to the parents, a little relief. No sentence can bring our daughter back, of course," he said.
"DURU WILL NOT COME BACK"
Mother Sıla Lale also stated that her daughter would not come back, saying, "Duru will not come back. I don't want to say anything else." Father Cem Pakarda said that the court gave the highest possible sentence, stating, "After the first trial, I already believed that the president would give this decision. He gave the best sentence he could. He couldn't give more than this. There is no longer such a thing as a child led to crime in our country. They are allowed to do everything. We ask our state and government for this. We want a regulation, we want some order to be given to them. In fact, we have also escaped from a torment. We were experiencing great torment during the court days. Whether it be the mother or us. May God protect everyone's children. The children of families who do not protect them are on the edge of a cliff," he said.