An uncle has been accused of throwing his eight-year-old nephew to his death from a sixth-floor window after the boy asked for crisps.
The man allegedly asked Oğuzhan Moğol, “Shall I throw you?”, before hurling him out of the open window in Istanbul, Turkey.
The boy’s nine-year-old sister, who witnessed the tragedy, told prosecutors she saw their uncle, Mustafa Uğur S., sitting on a sofa with Oğuzhan on his lap.
READ MORE: Woman in ‘wild boar attack’ may have been murdered, police say
She claimed their uncle had become angry after Oğuzhan shouted: “I want crisps.”
He allegedly replied: “You can’t shout at me.”
The girl said her brother was crying when their uncle asked him: “Shall I throw you?”
She then screamed: “What are you doing?”
Her brother called out her name before the uncle allegedly threw him out of the window, according to her statement.
Oğuzhan died after falling from the sixth floor of a seven-storey block of flats on 20 August 2024, as reported by Need To Know.
His uncle denies the allegations, insisting he tried to catch the boy but could not reach him.
He told prosecutors: “When I lifted my head from my phone, I saw Oğuzhan falling backwards from the window near me. I tried to grab him, but I couldn’t touch him or reach him.”
The uncle claimed his niece’s account had been influenced by her father.
A forensic report found that Oğuzhan’s fatal injuries could have been caused by a fall from a height, but could not determine whether he had lost his balance or someone had intervened.
Prosecutors said the girl’s account, witness statements, CCTV footage, the autopsy and other evidence provided sufficient grounds to bring a case against the uncle.
They are seeking an aggravated life sentence for the alleged intentional murder of a child.
Oğuzhan’s father, Ersin Moğol, said the family had initially been told his son had fallen from a sofa.
He claimed that, after gaining custody of his daughter months later, he learned of her allegation that their uncle had thrown her brother out of the window.
The father also alleged that family members had threatened his daughter, telling her: “If you say how your brother fell, we will kill you just like your brother.”
He said the family had filed a criminal complaint over the alleged threats.
Prosecutors have decided not to bring charges against the boy’s mother, grandmother or aunt by marriage.
The indictment has been sent to the Bakırköy High Criminal Court for consideration.
READ MORE: Teen footballer found dead after ‘shooting himself in the chest’ on hunting trip
