Sarah Ferguson Charged in Turkey....Faces Jail Term

  Fer

The Duchess of York could face a jail term in Turkey after being charged with illegally filming orphans for a TV documentary. Fergie was today accused in her absence of going “against the law in acquiring footage and violating privacy” of five children over a documentary she made in Turkey in 2008. No trial date has been set but she faces a maximum jail sentence of more than 22 years if convicted.

In the documentary Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission, Fergie visited the country with her daughter Princess Eugenie in an undercover mission for ITV Tonight to examine the plight of orphans.  Disguised in a wig and headscarf she went to an institution near the capital Ankara and filmed images of children tied to their beds or left in cots.

At the time, the Turkish government accused her of being involved in a “smudge campaign” when Turkey was trying to get membership of the European Union. But flame-haired Fergie, who also filmed orphanages in Romania with daughter Princess Beatrice for the programme, said she was “apolitical”. She said she had gone purely as a mother and she was happy to stand by the film. It is not clear why it has taken more than three years to file charges against her. Nimet Cubukcu, Turkey’s minister of family affairs, said after the film aired: “It is obvious Sarah Ferguson is ill-intentioned and is trying to launch a smearing campaign against Turkey by opposing Turkey’s EU membership.”
An ITV spokesman said of the broadcast: “This is a valid area of public interest at a time when the UK government is endorsing the accession of Turkey into the EU, a process which is conditional in part on Turkey improving its human rights record with children.”

Chris Rogers, the presenter and reporter who travelled with the Duchess for the undercover trip said: “Sarah and I witnessed children dressed in rags at Turkey’s Saray Institution, which had 700 unwanted, disabled youngsters shut up within its walls. “There was a terrible stench of urine, sweat and vomit. We saw children tied to benches like dogs, women with their arms pinned behind their back and covered in faeces.

”The Duchess of York’s spokesman James Henderson said: “The Duchess of York has fully cooperated at all times with both the Turkish and British authorities at all times on this issue. “The action today reported by the Turkish authorities is news to all." Sarah defended her actions ahead of the programme's screening, saying at the time: "I went as a mum, and I went because those children are silent whispers. And quite frankly I'm very happy with courage to stand by that film."

The duchess was not present when the charges were formally made and it is reported she could face up to 22 years in prison if convicted. It is not known whether Turkish officials have formally made a request for her extradition to face the allegations. A Home Office spokesman said that as a matter of routine the department did not confirm or deny whether extradition requests had been made.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "It is not general UK Government practice to comment on individual judicial processes, although we expect high legal and judicial standards to be observed. "It would be premature and inappropriate to speculate on possible outcomes at this stage."