The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) rallied to the Justice Ministry with all of its members of the parliament and administrative cadres in order to protest the ministry’s lack of action against the child abuse case that shook Türkiye last week.
All main opposition MPs and administrative cadres walk to Justice Ministry from the Parliament building in Ankara, after the parliament group held an extraordinary meeting at CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s urgent call on December 12.
The call came after Türkiye was shaken by a child abuse case uncovered by journalist Timur Soykan last week. He reported from the case file opened by a complaint of a 24 year old woman, who reported her abuse by a religious leader with the facilitation of her family.
She revealed that she was forced to marry a 28-year-old religious sect member when she was 6 years old, and he sexually abused her continuously in the following years. The issue was brought to the attention of related authorities when she was left pregnant at 14 years old. However, the case was closed after her legal representatives, with the help of her family, issued a fake medical report to make her appear older than 14. She was married to the man until recently, when she filed a complaint against her abuser and family, which followed a criminal case.
There is no arrest or criminal charge yet in the case, which causes further outrage in the public.
Ministry was aware of the case for 2 years
“Dear press members, I am deeply angry,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in front of the Justice Ministry with CHP members.
“A six-year-old child has been subjected to systematic rape in this country. I am waiting for the political powers to react. But when the issue was brought to Parliament’s agenda, the Minister of Family and Social Affairs, Derya Yanık, said the issue had been within their knowledge for two years,” he said, criticising the ministry’s lack of action in the course of two years.
“There is a systematic rape; you know it for two years and you do nothing,” he said.
“We are in front of the Justice Ministry, a ministry that should maintain justice. “They keep their silence,” he said.
Police is immobilized
The CHP leader said that the police force is under political influence for not pursuing the case, arguing that the members of the religious sect have relations with the political power.
“Who stands in the way of the police force, who prevents them from doing their duty, for what reason do prosecutors close these files, and from whom do they get their power?” he asked.
“Who keeps their silence in the face of this injustice suffered by our 6-year-old child?” he said, “Are the ones that you are taking pictures with putting pressure on you to close this case?” he added.
“State institutions should work, and the only obstacle to this is this political authority. I am telling you clearly, they cannot rule this state.”
Justice Minister’s answer
Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ made a statement after Kılıçdaroğlu’s claims stating that the criminal case is ongoing.
“The victim filed a complaint with the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation, made the necessary investigation, prepared an indictment and submitted it to the court, the court accepted the indictment and started the trial process. The trial process continues in the manner prescribed by our laws. At the end of the trial, the material truth will emerge. Let’s trust the judiciary, let’s wait for the outcome of the trial. At the end of the trial, both truth and justice will be served,” the statement read.
