Two suspects detained in the 'marriage at the age of six' case

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Following the arrest warrant issued yesterday (December 14), Yusuf Ziya G., the founder of the Hiranur Foundation affiliated to the İsmailağa sect, and Kadir İ. from the same religious sect were detained.

Kadir İ. accused of "marrying" and sexually abusing H.K.G. at child age was taken into custody yesterday at night in Pendik, İstanbul, and taken to police headquarters in Gayrettepe.

The father Yusuf Ziya G. accused of giving consent to the sexual abuse of his daughter at child age, on the other hand, was taken into custody in the morning. 

Both suspects are expected to be taken to the courthouse today to give their testimonies.

İstanbul Anatolian Prosecutor's Office had requested the arrest of the suspects following the requests made by the lawyers of H.K.G. and then the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

The board of the İstanbul Anadolu 2nd Heavy Penal Court unanimously ruled for an arrest warrant. The court also requested that it should be identified if the complainant has any mental health problems.

Before these detentions, there was strong criticism throughout the week about the Ministry of Family and Social Services not starting any legal proceedings despite being informed about the case two years before, and since the suspects in the case were not arrested despite a previous demand by the prosecutor's office.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu walked to the Ministry of Justice together with a party delegation in protest on Tuesday (December 13).

Besides the detentions, the date of the first hearing of the case was taken to an earlier date. Changed at the request of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the hearing will be held on January 30. Before, it was announced that the first hearing of the case was going to be held on May 22.

What happened?

Timur Soykan from Birgün daily newspaper wrote on December 3 an article titled "A dark world has swallowed a child. Only 6 years old in the darkness of a religious sect..."

Accordingly, Yusuf Ziya G., who is the founder of the Hiranur Foundation linked to the İsmailağa sect married his daughter H.K.G. by imam marriage and let her be systematically subjected to sexual abuse by a man who is a member of the sect and also their neighbor, publicly engaged his daughter with this person at the age of 13 and married her to him at the age of 14, that she gave birth at the age of 17. She was officially married when she was 18.

Accordingly, H.K.G. went to court after her divorce in 2021 and opened a sexual abuse case. When her family, accused of giving consent to sexual abuse, and the offender, denied the allegations, H.K.G. submitted to the court her photographs with these persons at the age of 6 and at the age of 13 as evidence.

After many reactions on social media, the Ministry of Family and Social Services announced on December 7 that they are going to intervene in the case concerning the allegations of H.K.G. (AÖ/PE)