Batman Bar releases a statement on child abuse in Gercüş

* Photo: Batman Bar Association

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The Batman Bar Association has released a written statement for the press regarding the investigation launched into the incident where 15-year-old P.Ö. was sexually abused in Gercüş district in southeastern Batman province, allegedly by 27 men including public officials.

In the statement concerning the allegations of child abuse and forced sex work in Gercüş, the Bar Association has indicated that the Batman Bar Association Chair, members of the Barman Bar's Women's and Children Rights Center and the attorneys who represented P.Ö. went to the Gercüş Courthouse and had talks with the judicial authorities.

The bar has released the following statement afterwards:

• Aggrieved child P.Ö. appealed to the Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 12, 2020 and stated that she had been abused and got pregnant; an investigation was launched into the incident, one of the suspects M.A. was arrested as part of the investigation on November 13, 2020 and an arrest warrant was issued against another suspect.
• On the grounds that the incident occurred within the borders of Gercüş district, the investigation file was sent by the Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to the Gercüş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 17, 2020; with the decision of the Gercüş Penal Judgeship of Peace dated November 18, 2020, a confidentiality order and a broadcast/ publication ban was imposed.
• Despite how is it intensively addressed in social media, according to the the obtained information, neither in the victim's statement nor in the statements of the suspects is there an accusation against public officials; there are no accusations or offenses charged against public officials as part of the investigation; the news and posts alleging that there are 27 suspects in total in the case do not reflect the truth and there are currently two suspects in the file.
• The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policies got involved in the investigation file on the side of victim P.Ö.
• It has been indicated by the Gercüş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office that the evidence is collected in the light of the allegations/ statements of the victim and suspect and the investigation is ongoing.
• Similarly, again despite how it is intensively addressed on social media, we have been informed by the Gercüş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office that there has been no investigation filed into an alleged forced prostitution just as there has been no tip-off or complaint reported to the judicial authorities, either.

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(EKN/SD)