Background
Rojin Kabaiş was a 21-year-old preschool teaching student at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University who lived in the university dormitory.
Her father, Nizamettin Kabaiş, has insisted that her death was a murder and that those responsible must be found.
What happened
Rojin Kabaiş left the dormitory on the evening of 27 September 2024 and was not heard from again. A search began after belongings were found on the lakeshore near the campus. On 15 October 2024 her body was found on the shore of Lake Van in the Mollakasım neighbourhood of Tuşba district.
The location where she was found became central to later questions about how she came to be there. Her family and official statements remained apart on whether the death was a suicide or accident, or involved other people.
Investigation and legal process
A Forensic Medicine Institute report dated 6 November 2024 said DNA from two different men was found at autopsy but nothing suspicious was identified. In November 2025 the Van Bar Association said DNA profiles of 134 people who may have handled the body between the scene and the morgue had been compared; the number later rose to 195, and samples were also taken from dormitory and university security staff.
In 2026 the investigation was widened again. In May 2026 comparisons began against a pool of about 2,500 people, with some 415–425 profiles checked; the latest reports put those sampled near 470. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said a special team had been set up to unlock her phone and new teams formed for the Van and Diyarbakır strands. Camera footage is being re-examined, including recordings alleged to have been deleted.
Where it stands today
Nearly two years on, the owners of the two male DNA profiles found at autopsy are not known. No one has been convicted and no final conclusion has been announced. The family and their lawyers continue to press for deeper investigation. The Kabaiş case remains a reminder of the importance of transparent and thorough investigation into the deaths of young women.