Cevher Toktaş (born 13 September 1987) is a Turkish footballer who last played as a centre-back for Bursa Yıldırımspor in the Turkish Regional Amateur League.[1] In May 2020, Toktaş admitted to murdering his five-year-old son by suffocating him with a pillow while in the hospital.[2]

Cevher Toktaş
Personal information
Full name Cevher Toktaş
Date of birth (1987-09-13) 13 September 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth Malatya, Turkey
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
2000 Bursaspor
2000–2003 Hürriyetspor
2003–2004 Orhangazispor
2004–2005 Bursa Yolspor
2005–2006 Orhangazispor
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Orhangazispor 0 (0)
2007 → Bursa Merinosspor (loan) 11 (0)
2007–2010 Hacettepe[a] 8 (0)
2009Kahramanmaraşspor (loan) 5 (0)
2010Tarsus İdman Yurdu (loan) 9 (0)
2010–2011 Siirtspor 24 (0)
2011–2012 Adıyamanspor 23 (0)
2012–2014 Tarsus İdman Yurdu 38 (1)
2014–2016 Karacabey Belediyespor[b] 58 (1)
2016–2018 Kozanspor 36 (1)
2018–2019 Çankaya FK 38 (1)
2019–2020 Bursa Yıldırımspor 17 (2)
Total 267 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Toktaş made his professional debut for Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ in the Süper Lig on 2 March 2008, coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute for Serkan Atak in the away match against Çaykur Rizespor, which finished as a 0–0 draw. In total, he made seven appearances for Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ/Hacettepe in the Süper Lig.[3]

Murder of son

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On 23 April 2020, Toktaş's son Kasım, aged five, was brought to Dortcelik Children's Hospital in Bursa with a high fever, breathing difficulties, and coughing. This was thought to be caused by COVID-19. Later that day, Kasım died while in the ICU, which was believed to have been caused by the disease. However, Toktaş went to the police eleven days later on 4 May to confess he had murdered his son while alone in the hospital room. Toktaş admitted to suffocating his son with a pillow over the head for fifteen minutes until he died, before calling a doctor into the room. Toktaş, who said he did not disclose the crime with his family, was subsequently arrested while awaiting trial. In the police report, he stated that he had never loved his son, but that he had no mental issues. He later confessed after feeling remorse. In 2022, Toktaş received an aggravated life sentence.[2][4]

Notes

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  1. ^ Originally called Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ
  2. ^ Originally called Bursa Nilüferspor

References

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  1. ^ Cevher Toktaş at Soccerway  
  2. ^ a b Özçoban, Halil; Özdemir, Huzeyfe; Şahin, Semih (7 May 2020). "Son dakika haberi: Eski Süper Lig futbolcusu Cevher Toktaş 5 yaşındaki oğlunu hastanede boğarak öldürdü" [Breaking news: Former Süper Lig footballer Cevher Toktaş smothered his 5-year-old son in the hospital]. Hürriyet (in Turkish). Bursa. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. ^ Cevher Toktaş at the Turkish Football Federation  
  4. ^ "Turkish court sentences footballer to life over son's murder". Daily Sabah. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
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