Turkey court gives Ferguson time to settle

WORLD NEWSMAY 4, 2012 / 11:44 PM / 6 YEARS AGO

Turkey court gives Ferguson time to settle -media

Reuters Staff

3 MIN READ

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court trying British duchess Sarah Ferguson for secretly filming the treatment of mentally handicapped children adjourned after opening on Friday to give time for an out-of-court settlement, Turkish media said.

Sarah Ferguson, Britain's Duchess of York, arrives at a benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York October 26, 2011. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Ferguson, who holds the title Duchess of York as the ex-wife of Britain’s Prince Andrew, was not present in court. She signaled when the charges were brought in January that she would not return to face trial. The offences carry a maximum sentence of up to 22 years and six months.

Ferguson had posed as a charitable donor to visit centers for mentally handicapped children in Turkey and Romania, followed by hidden cameras, to highlight poor conditions.

The documentary, made in 2008 by the British channel ITV, reported cases of children being tied to beds and disabled children being neglected by overworked staff.

The prosecution accused Ferguson of violating the privacy of five children, and the heavy sentence was based on the premise that five sentences would run consecutively.

Ferguson’s Turkish lawyer, Cansu Sahin, told the Ankara criminal court that the duchess wanted to reach a settlement, the broadcaster CNN Turk reported on its website. Neither the court nor Ferguson or her representatives could be reached for comment.

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