‘Why didn’t you investigate the sexual abuse of student?’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Oya Ersoy has submitted a Parliamentary question about teacher Zeynep, who has been suspended from her duty at a high school in Ankara after realizing that a student of hers was sexually abused for multiple times and making efforts to ensure that a legal action would be taken against the perpetrators.

In her Parliamentary question to Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk, Ersoy has indicated that teacher Zeynep applied to the law enforcement and the Ministry for many times after she realized that a high school student in Ankara had two miscarriages and it was understood that she was also abused by other male adults in the same neighborhood.

'School management punished the teacher'

Ersoy has shared the following details about the incident:

"When the teacher applied to the law enforcement agencies about her abused student, she received the answer, 'You start the administrative proceedings; if it is referred to us, we will launch an investigation.'

"After the teacher made applications requesting an investigation into the abuse, the school management preferred punishing the teacher, rather than conducting any investigation about the incident.

"Even though teacher Zeynep applied to the Sub-Governor's Office, the District Directorate of National Education and Provincial Directorate of National Education, both the sub-governor and the inspectors sent to the school claimed that the student had consent and the incident did not concern the teacher, threatening her with punishment.

'Petitions remained inconclusive'

"After the teacher submitted a petition to the prosecutor's office, an investigation was launched and it was understood that students had submitted petitions to the school management, but the school management and some teachers tried to cover up the incident.

"Following the teacher's petition to the prosecutor's office, she started receiving disciplinary punishments from school management. Appointed by the Ministry of Education before, the inspectors submitted a report to the prosecutor's office, saying that the school management was not guilty.

"The petitions submitted to the Prosecutor's Office, Ankara Regional Administrative Court and Ankara Department of Inspection remained inconclusive. As for the school management, it stripped the teacher of her lessons in a de facto attempt to prevent her from working and sent a petition to the ministry, requesting her appointment somewhere else."

'Have you launched an investigation?'

The MP has asked the following questions:

"Is there an investigation conducted by you Ministry upon the application of a teacher about the sexual abuse of a high school student in Ankara?

"Has an investigation been launched against the school principal and teachers who covered up the abuse of the student? Are you thinking of suspending the related persons from duty?

"Has an investigation been launched against the District Director of National Education, the appointed inspectors and the sub-governor for trying to cover up the incident and threatening the teacher? Are you thinking of suspending these persons from duty?

"Has an investigation been launched against the school management in relation over its undue disciplinary punishments imposed on the teacher?

"Have you applied to the Ministry of Interior to ensure that an action be taken against the law enforcement officers over their failure to take action after the teacher applied to them about the incident?

"Has an impartial commission/board been established by your Ministry to investigate the abuse of the high school student woman? If there is no board appointed for investigation, are you thinking of forming any?" (AÖ/SD)