Wife’s murder charge dropped after sleep disorder finding over Serdar Caliskan death

Ilknur Caliskan was charged with her husband Serdar’s murder. Photo / Facebook

• A murder charge against Ilknur Caliskan was dropped after experts suggested she acted involuntarily due to a sleep disorder.
• Caliskan was accused of stabbing her husband, Serdar, during a camping trip near Melbourne on September 30, 2023.
• Two experts found she may have been experiencing parasomnia, leading to the discontinuation of the prosecution.

A murder charge against a wife has been dropped after two experts found she may have been acting involuntarily because of a sleep disorder.

Fifty-year-old Caliskan was charged with murder after stabbing Serdar, her husband of 25 years, while the couple were camping with friends near Colbinane, north of Melbourne, on September 30, 2023.

The 50-year-old died at the scene despite efforts of paramedics.

Caliskan maintained she was asleep when the incident unfolded, previously telling police she had no memory of what happened that evening as the couple sat around a campfire with friends near Mt Disappointment.

She was released on bail mid last year to attend a sleep facility for expert testing in Sydney after her defence flagged they wanted to explore parasomnia as a defence.

Parasomnias are a type of sleep disorder that can involve abnormal behaviours such as acting out a dream.

The case returned to the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday morning as prosecutor Daryl Brown formally announced the murder charge was being discontinued.

She covered her face as she left court with family in December last year. Photo / NewsWire

“I seek to formally announce the Director of Public Prosecutions discontinues the prosecution against the accused,” he said.

Caliskan, who was not required to attend the hearing, was discharged by Judicial Register Tim Freeman and is now a free woman.

Previously the court was told the defence sleep expert opined it could not be excluded that she was experiencing a sleep disorder when her husband was killed and not acting in a conscious or voluntary manner.

A second expert, engaged by the prosecution, delivered a similar finding late last year.

Caliskan’s trial was set to begin on March 31.

Previously, the court was told Caliskan’s family, based in Turkey, were going to be contacted by prosecutors about the decision.

More to come.