Kahramanmaraş nurse abuse case: Forensic report finds no link to infant's disabilities

A forensic report has been submitted in the legal case involving nurse Hazel Dırık Bağrıyanık, who is accused of abusing an infant at Sütçü İmam University Health Application and Research Hospital in Kahramanmaraş in May 2021.

The incident involved Deniz Esin Bozoklar, who was placed in a neonatal intensive care unit after being born at 990 grams. Security footage revealed that during a 14-minute blood collection procedure, the nurse subjected the infant to repeated violence. The family alleges the abuse resulted in the child suffering broken bones and developing physical and mental disabilities, including cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

However, the Forensic Medicine Institute report stated that no causal link could be established between the violence and the child's current neurological and physical disabilities, classifying the conditions as pre-existing. The child's mother has expressed outrage over the findings, maintaining that the infant's health deteriorated immediately following the incident. Bağrıyanık, who was previously dismissed from her position, is currently facing trial for intentional injury.