Women Protest Plans to Grant Amnesty for Child Abuse

* Photos: Mezopotamya Agency (MA) - JinNews

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As the government is once again preparing to bring a possible amnesty for child abusers through marriage to the country's agenda, "Women are Strong Together" (Kadınlar Birlikte Güçlü) platform has protested the law proposal in Kadıköy, İstanbul and in Karşıyaka, İzmir.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson İdil Uğurlu, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Dilşat Canbaz, Oya Ersoy and Züleyha Gülüm as well as representatives from several women's organizations have joined the protest in İstanbul.

Women have opened the banners "Don't whitewash abuse, implement İstanbul Convention" and "Women are strong together in days of corona."

Making a statement on behalf of the women, Çağla Akdere has noted that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been trying to bring the issue of child abuse to the Parliamentary agenda since 2016.

Referring to a recent statement by AKP MP Said Yüce, Akdere has indicated that the MP quite clearly said "as soon as the Parliament is reopened, the law draft on child abuse will be brought to the Parliament's agenda."

Akdere has protested that the legislative proposal in question will pave the way for child marriages, it will increase sexual abuse of children and the offenders will face impunity, which is a crime.

Expressing her concerns that plans to grant amnesty for child abuse will be brought to agenda again, Akdere has also condemned the ongoing debates on Turkey's possible withdrawal from İstanbul Convention.

'Children younger than 15 cannot have consent'

"Women are Strong Together" platform has protested the law draft on child abuse in Karşıyaka in the Aegean province of İzmir as well.

Holding a statement for the press with their purple kershiefs and banners, women have said, "Don't ever think about it," "Down with your laws, let the children live" and "We won't let you whitewash child abuse."

As reported by JinNews website, while the statement for the press was read out by Deniz Uslu, the protest was attended by several women, including HDP İzmir MP Serpil Kemalbay and main opposition Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) İzmir MP Sevda Erdan Kılıç.

Reading out the statement for the press, Uslu has underlined that there is an attempt to hide child abuse under the name of "early marriage."

"We know that legitimizing marriages between 13-year-old girls and 28-year-old men will mean that the girls will be deprived of their right of education, they will be impoverished and their future will be taken away from them," Uslu has protested and continued as follows:

"With this door cracked open, the childhood of girl children will be taken away from them and the marriage age will be decreased to 13 in practice.

"As you can also remember, according to the Article 104 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), there is no legal obstacle for the ones aged over 15 to have a sexual intercourse by their consent. In other words, the law attempted to be passed has the characteristics of an amnesty for the men who unlawfully got married to girls at the ages of 13-14 with a religious marriage."

Concluding her remarks, Uslu has reiterated that "one cannot talk about the consent of any child under the age of 15" and added: 

"Sexual behavior towards any child under the age of 15 is sexual abuse! It is a crime! It cannot be granted amnesty!" (EMK/SD)