These gruesome images show the brutal slash wounds a man allegedly inflicted on his then-wife when she filed for divorce and the victim has said she feels like a “new woman” since the paperwork was finalised.
Ukrainian woman Anna Butim, 28, was savagely attacked by her then-husband, Turkish man Mesut Ozturkmen, 45, who has been detained by the police over the incident.
The shocking attack occurred at a shopping centre in the Turkish city of Istanbul on 15th January and her divorce has now been finalised.
The couple married shortly after they met on Facebook in 2018. Ozturkmen reportedly lied and introduced himself as a footballer playing for an Italian club despite living with his parents in Turkey and being the father of three children.
Local news site CNN Turk said Anna decided to marry Ozturkmen believing everything he told her and moved to the Turkish province of Kocaeli.
Upon realising the lies she was told, the Ukrainian woman decided to file for divorce but feared Ozturkmen would attempt to kill her if he found out.
Anna told the suspect she was going to fly back to her home country on the pretence that she wanted to visit her mum.
However, Ozturkmen later followed her to Ukraine after realising she intended to divorce him while Anna flew back to Turkey to file the papers.
Ozturkmen was apparently none the wiser as he was still in the Ukraine when he saw a social media post by Anna’s sister at a shopping centre in Istanbul which he recognised.
The suspect flew back to Turkey and waited for Anna at the shopping centre for two days before he saw her and allegedly assaulted her.
The suspect reportedly used a box cutter to try and cut her throat at the shopping centre, causing deep slashes all over her face, as seen in these gruesome images.
Anna has undergone three surgeries and the attack has left a part of her face paralysed as she is not able to move part of her lip, raise an eyebrow, or close an eyelid.
However, Anna, who decided to stay in Turkey, spoke with CNN Turk and said she is a new woman since the attack happened in January and her divorce was finalised last month (April).
She said: “I’m very different right now. I’m a completely different Anna now. I used to believe everyone. Now, I do not easily believe anyone. My rose-tinted glasses are broken.
“Despite all my experiences, I love Turkey very much. I trust Turkish justice and am not afraid. I want to live here.”
It is unclear if Ozturkmen has been charged by the authorities yet as the investigation continues.