Honour killing girl 'taken away'

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An alleged "honour killing" victim was taken to stay with an uncle on the day she was allegedly murdered and then ran away, the Old Bailey has been told.

The suggestion was made by Michael Turner QC, representing the schoolgirl's father Mehmet Goren, who is accused of murdering her.

Tulay Goren, 15, went missing from Woodford Green, north London, in 1999.

Tulay's 49-year-old father and her uncles Ali and Cuma Goren deny murdering Tulay.

Mr Turner said her mother Hanim was told Tulay would be taken to stay with an uncle in Cumbria.

Mrs Goren replied that she had "not heard such a thing".

The court previously heard that Mehmet Goren disapproved of Tulay's relationship with factory worker Halil Unal because of religious differences and the fact that Mr Unal was 15 years older than Tulay.

The schoolgirl disappeared on 7 January 1999 and her body has never been found.

'Decision' taken

Mr Turner suggested that Tulay had been taken to Workington, where her uncle Ali owned a kebab shop.

Under cross-examination, Mr Turner said to Mrs Goren: "You have not told this jury about a decision that was taken on 6 January. That was, we suggest, that Tulay go to Workington to stay with Ali."

Speaking through an interpreter, Mrs Goren replied that she had "not heard such a thing".

I saw (Mehmet) beating her up on the occasions he did but it did not cross my mind that he would kill her Tulay's mother Hanim Goren

The jury previously heard that Tulay was given sleeping tablets on the evening before her disappearance.

Mr Turner said: "Was that not the reason that the sleeping pills were given to Tulay? Because it was thought she wouldn't go to Ali's willingly?"

Mrs Goren said: "I never heard that evening of her going there, to Ali's place, I don't know about that."

Mr Turner suggested to her: "You were made aware that Ali had come to London on 7 January and taken Tulay to Workington."

He added: "On 14 or 15 January, Mehmet told you, did he not, that Tulay had run away from Ali's?"

"No, I don't remember such a thing," said Mrs Goren.

The court previously heard that Mrs Goren and her other children were told to leave their London home on the day of Tulay's alleged murder.

But Mr Turner suggested that the first thing Mrs Goren would have done if she expected her husband to "beat and torture" Tulay would have been to call the police.

Mrs Goren replied: "I saw him beating her up on the occasions he did but it did not cross my mind that he would kill her."

Mehmet Goren, Cuma Goren, 42, and Ali Goren, 55, both from Walthamstow, east London, also deny conspiring to murder Mr Unal between May 1998 and February 1999.

The trial continues.