VAN - Stating that sexual abuse against children has increased by 700 percent in the last 10 years, Star Women's Association Manager Serap Güvenç said: "The only thing the government promises to children is death. A social demonstration can prevent this."

 

Child sexual crimes are increasing day by day in Kurdistan and Turkey. According to the data released by the Ministry of Justice; In 2021, 29,822 cases were decided on the crime of "child sexual abuse". Again, according to the data of the Ministry, in 2021 judicial statistics, a total of 50,370 people were prosecuted for "crimes against sexual immunity", while 20,459 of these cases were "sexual abuse of the child". In 59,268 of the 127,297 decisions made in sexual assault cases, it was decided that "we could not reach sufficient evidence that the crime was committed and there was no place for prosecution by not filing a lawsuit for this reason". Again, 23.4% of the cases of abuse against children were acquitted. According to the controversial data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), 7,190 children gave birth in 2021, 117 of whom were younger than 15 years old.

 

A SOCIAL PROBLEM

 

Drawing attention to the increase in sexual abuse of children, Star Women's Association Director Serap Güvenç said: "AKP's policies caused an increase in crimes against children. At least one child is sexually abused every day. The incidents of abuse against children are too important to be glossed over with press releases alone. Abuses cannot be accepted as isolated incidents. Abuses have now become a social problem. Cases of abuse against children have increased by 700 percent in the last 10 years, and these are only data reflected in the press. But on the other hand, dozens of abuse cases are opened every day in courthouses all over the country."

 

THE PROCESS WAS KNITTED STEP BY STEP

 

Saying that girls have been subjected to sexual abuse for years under the name of "marriage", Güvenç said: "The tolerance shown to child marriages and the sexual identity given to infants, various reactionary discourses and impunity for these discourses are the social causes of the problems experienced. Now it is necessary to see that the reprimand messages do not solve the problem. Each abuse incident shows once again that what happened was knitted step by step. After the abuse at the Ensar Foundation, the then-Minister's statement, 'Nothing will happen once and for all', has caused a 6-year-old girl to be brought into the dark room of a cult member today. The rhetoric and practices of the ruling party have made women and children the target of all kinds of violence."

 

'GOVERNMENT PLEDGES DEATH'

 

Reminding that the "Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children Against Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse" (Lonzorete Convention), which now protects children, was opened for discussion after the abolition of the Istanbul Convention, which guaranteed the lives of women, Güvenç said: “The only thing that the government pledges to women and girls is death and slavery. It can prevent such situations with social actions."