Turkish taffy - court case against Sarah has begun

The court case against Sarah, Duchess of York, began today in Ankara, Turkey.  The prosecution is demanding a sentence of nearly two years.


The charges against the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, stem back to 2008 when Sarah visited several orphanages in Istanbul and Ankara with a television crew from ITV.

The "shocking images of bad sanitary conditions" in the orphanages brought about complaints from the managers of the state-run orphanages.  They filed suit again Sarah, Duchess of York because they said the images, which were televised in the United Kingdom, violated the children's privacy.  They also charged that Sarah was trying to ruin Turkey's international image.

In 2009, Turkey's Justice Department requested that Sarah be extradited from the United Kingdom.  The British government has officially denied the extradition request, pointing out that Sarah did not break any British laws.

Earlier today, court officials stated that Sarah, Duchess of York must appear at the next court hearing.  She is being represented by a Turkish lawyers, but, according to the BBC, "has declined to go to Ankara for the trial."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17956643