Turkey: 15-year sentence for bishop's killer
January 22, 2013
A Turkish court has issued a 15-year prison sentence to the man who admitted to the June 2010 murder of Bishop Luigi Padovese.
Murat Altun had claimed that “I was not in control of myself” at the time of the killing, and his lawyers had entered an insanity plea. But a medical commission found Altun competent to stand trial.
During the trial, Altun, who had been the bishop’s chaffeur, gave several conflicting explanations for his sudden decision to slash Bishop Padovese’s throat. Catholic Church leaders in Turkey have pressed the government for a more thorough investigation of the crime.
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Further information:
- Mgr Padovese's murderer gets 15 years in prison (AsiaNews)
- Turkish court finds bishop's killer competent to stand trial (CWN, 12/11/11)
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