The family of a man namely F.T., who sexually abused a girl under the age of 18 in the Suruç district of Urfa province, allegedly told the family of the victim, “Let’s get them married. We will give you one of the girls in our family. Let’s close the case.”

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Riha- 49,057 cases of sexual assault were recorded in 2019, 22,689 of them were child abuse cases, according to the report released by the Turkish Ministry of Justice in 2020. In 2012, the number of child abuse cases was 17,589. The percentage of child abuse cases rose to 29 percent between 2012 and 2019.

The perpetrators recorded the sexual assault

In Turkey, where the sexual assaults against women and children are on rising, the attitude of the victims’ families and the judicial system play a decisive role in the cases of sexual assault. The incident that took place in the Suruç district of Urfa province reveals this reality. A high school student was sexually abused by a man namely F.T. in March. According to the information we received from her family, M.T., cousin of F.T., shot the video of the rape. After the girl told the assault against her to her family, the family filed a criminal complaint against F.T. and M.T.

“Let’s get them married!”

After a criminal complaint was filed against F.T. and M.T., their families got in contact with the victim’s family. “Let’s get them married. We will give you one of the girls in our family. Let’s close the case and withdraw your complaint,” the families of the perpetrators reportedly told the family of the victim.

The perpetrators were arrested

One of the relatives of the victim told NuJINHA that the perpetrators were arrested and sent to prison after the complaint of the family. The victim has been reportedly taken under protection.