Parliamentary Inquiry by HDP Regarding Pregnancy of Children

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ankara MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu has submitted a parliamentary inquiry to the Speaker's Office and demanded that a parliamentary investigation be launched into the child pregnancies caused by sexual abuse and child marriages.

In the inquiry, the following cases have been reminded:

* In 2016, 1,260 cases of child pregnancy were identified at the Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital in İstanbul.

* In the first five months of 2017, it was identified that 158 pregnant children were registered in the same hospital. As part of this incident, where 37 of the pregnant children were under the age of 15, the legal authorities were not notified about the pregnancy of 124 children.

"Investigation Commission should be established"

In her parliamentary inquiry, Kerestecioğlu has referred to the serious health problems and complications that might occur during pregnancy and childbirth of children and emphasized their vulnerability to unequal and discriminating treatment and practices in further stages of their lives.

Referring to the Constitution and the international children's rights agreements, she has underlined that it is a duty of the state to develop and implement all types of protective and preventive measures to eliminate all types of violence faced by children, including child abuse.

Kerestecioğlu has concluded, "It is a matter of urgency that an Investigation Commission be established with the aim of inquiring the child pregnancies in Turkey and identifying the causes leading to child pregnancies so that the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) can develop a sound policy to prevent child pregnancies and take the necessary measures of prevention." (EMK/SD)