Human Rights Association: Sexual Abuse is Crime, not Sickness

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In its İstanbul branch building, the Human Rights Association (İHD) has shared its opinions about the law draft on child abuse.

İstanbul Branch Chair Gülseren Yoleri has said that the law draft in question will not eliminate the problem of child abuse but on the contrary, the incidents will be swept under the carpet by means of the chapter about gag order.

“You cannot prevent crime by increasing the punishment”

“You cannot prevent any crime including sexual abuse by merely increasing the punishment without addressing the causes that create the crime.

“The reasons leading to sexual abuse and mechanisms to protect children from sexual abuse are totally overlooked”.

“Gag order doesn’t prevent crime”

“Gag order may cause children to be left alone by preventing visibility of sexual abuse cases, which will encourage sexual abuse.

“We will not witness the children being protected but the incidents being covered. Sexual abuse cannot be prevented without public inspection”.

“A criminal cannot be treated as a patient”

“Sexual abuse is not a sickness, it is a violent crime. Approaches such as castration lead to them enjoying penalty reduction by treating them as patient”. (TP/TK)