( CNN ) Her murder shocked a nation , but according to the slain woman 's father , it also woke Turkey up . Ozgecan Aslan 's body was found last month , burned and abandoned , just days after her family reported her missing . She allegedly fought off a sexual assault before being killed by the driver of a bus she 'd taken to go home . Her death sparked widespread protests . `` A country woke up , '' Aslan 's father , Mehmet Aslan , told CNN in a phone interview . `` There was no way for so many people to come together over a single killing . But , I know that my Ozgecan was sent for a reason . And as devastating it is , it was her part , her destiny to wake people up . '' Aslan , 20 , was a first-year university student . She studied psychology . `` My Ozge lived for peace , '' her father said . `` For peace , love and beauty . She believed in a better tomorrow . '' Since her death , hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets and online , demanding Turkey do more to protect women . They say the problem is cultural ; it 's also criminal . Bianet , a Turkish group that tracks violence against women , reports that at least 281 women were killed in Turkey in 2014 -- up 31 % from the previous year . According to Hulya Gulbahar , a Turkish activist and women 's rights lawyer , laws are irregularly applied . `` In a majority of Turkey 's female abuse cases , the perpetrators receive mitigations in their sentences due to court 's detection of consent granted by the victim , '' Gulbahar said . `` In some cases , wearing a miniskirt or some cleavage got the woman 's rapist mitigation in his punishment , while in some cases the consent was attached to her wearing red . '' It 's unclear what will happen in Aslan 's case . Three suspects have been arrested in her death , Turkey 's semiofficial news agency Anadolu has reported . The agency identified the main suspect as 26-year-old Ahmet Suphi Altindoken and said that he had confessed . Aslan reportedly fought him using pepper spray , which had been given to her by her mother . Although he is heartbroken and angry , Mehmet Aslan is n't out for revenge . In fact , his family has received donations from across the country and is planning to use those to set up a rehabilitation center -- not for women who are abused but for men who abuse . `` We must surrender to love , '' he told CNN . `` Otherwise , we all lose . '' Aslan 's murder is similar in many ways to well-known case in India . There , a student was attacked by five men on a public bus in 2012 . She was raped and later died from her injuries . Like Aslan 's murder , her death triggered massive outrage and nationwide protests . And like Turkey , India has a serious problem when it comes to women 's rights . Out of 142 countries , Turkey ranks 125th ( India ranks 114th ) on the World Economic Forum 's 2014 gender gap index . On Sunday , some 3,000 women marched in Istanbul to mark International Women 's Day , Anadolu reported . The female-only rally was dedicated in Aslan 's memory . `` Ozgecan 's screams have indeed been heard . Maybe not that very instant , but later -- and in millions of hearts , '' said Mehmet Aslan .
CNN allegedly fought off a sexual assault before being killed . Her death triggered widespread protests , including one on International Women 's Day .