Woman (47) Acquitted of Fatally Stabbing Husband While Camping: Claimed to be Sleepwalking

colbinane - An Australian woman, accused of killing her husband, has been acquitted after a sleepwalking defense in a notable murder case.

Acquittal in Sleepwalking Defense

Ilknur Caliskan, 47, was camping with her husband Serdar and friends near Colbinane, north of Melbourne, when emergency services were called in September 2023. Serdar, 50, was found dead with stab wounds in their car. The evening before, they were sitting around a campfire with friends.

Caliskan was arrested for her husband's death, leading to a murder trial. She denied consciously killing her husband, attributing her actions to parasomnia, a sleep disorder. She appeared in court with her family, covering herself to remain unidentified. Released on bail for sleep testing, results suggested her actions might have been involuntary due to her sleep disorder. Her defense challenged the prosecution's burden of proving her conscious and voluntary state during the incident.

Prosecutors previously indicated consulting the Turkish relatives before a decision, but ultimately dropped the case this week. A spokesperson stated the decision was made after careful consideration and inability to establish murder elements beyond reasonable doubt, emphasizing the seriousness of dropping charges involving a deceased individual.