‘We will not let you acquit the perpetrators of child abuse’

"Children have a say on their body" (Hale Güzin Kızılaslan/csgorselarsiv.org)

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After teacher E.S. was released on probation while he was on trial for abusing eight students in İzmir, the Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) has condemned the incident in a written statement.

Saying, "We will not let you acquit the perpetrators of abuse", the union has raised concerns that "there are news of sexual abuse coming from schools, state and religious community dorms almost everyday."

Sharing details about the incident in İzmir province, the Eğitim-Sen recalled that after it was alleged in November 2019 that a teacher harassed eight students, he was dismissed as part of the administrative investigation launched upon the complaints of the families and students.

While teacher E.S. was also detained and arrested shortly afterwards, he was released on probation at his fourth hearing at the İzmir Bergama High Criminal Court on the grounds of "lack of evidence".

The union has raised concerns about the allegations that during the judicial proceedings, the families of the children faced attempts of intimidation and the classmates and families who would bear witness in favor of the aggrieved children were contacted and requested to refuse to testify.

'Don't let it go unpunished'

Recalling that the lawyers of the aggrieved children requested the arrest of the defendant again at the hearing on October 12, 2021, the union noted that this request was also rejected by the court board due to "lack of evidence". It said, "The fact that the defendant is released because of 'lack of evidence' shows that the statements of the aggrieved children are not considered."

The union has underlined that "it is not always possible to obtain concrete evidence in crimes involving the abuse of children and sexual assaults" and added that "such crimes are commited in environments where the aggrieved person is alone and there is no recording device":

"For this reason, the statement of the aggrieved persons shall be considered essential in crimes of sexual abuse of childred. When the opposite is done, it leads children to live amid a threat of violence, it makes difficult for the aggrieved persons to make a complaint and to conduct an effective investigation and leads perpetrators to go unpunished."

The union has stressed that the "legal arrangements of the political power holders that make things easier for the perpetrators of violence and abuse and the court rulings that protect and let the civil servants on trial for violence and abuse of women and children go unpunished further undermine the society's trust in the justice day by day and exacerbate the aggrivements."

The union has underlined that it "will not let the crimes of sexual abuse be normalized." Noting that the final ruling was expected at yesterday's hearing (April 19), the Eğitim-Sen has reiterated that it stands with the aggrieved children and for the penalization of the abusive teacher. (EMK/SD)