Woman Detained for Protesting Child Abuse at Taksim Square Released

Click to read the article in Turkish (1) (2)

After it has been reported in the news that a five-year-old girl child was subjected to sexual abuse in the district of Küçükçekmece, İstanbul, Yasmin Babat Kayan staged a single-person sit-in protest at Taksim Square in Beyoğlu against child abuse today (April 24).

Protesting in front of the Republic Monument in Taksim, Babat Kayan was detained by the police and brought to the Beyoğlu District Security Directorate. The woman has been released shortly afterwards.

'I will continue protesting'

Speaking to bianet upon her release from detention, Yasmin Babat Kayan has made the following remarks:

"The police told me that my protest was unpermitted. I was told that I had to receive permission from the Beyoğlu District Governorship for such protests.

"They informed me about where I am allowed to protest and I will continue protesting in those permitted places in the forthcoming days."

'We should raise our voices for children'

Babat Kayan also spoke to bianet about her one-person sit-in protest before she was taken into custody. Underlining that she was protesting with the demand that sexual abuse of children be prevented and necessary measures be taken by the authorities, she said,

"Children are not safe in this country. We hear new incidents of harassment and rape with each passing day. I am baffled by the unresponsiveness of people in the face of such incidents. I am also a mother, I have two children. They can also experience something similar. I think that we should raise our voices not only for my children, but for all children as well.

'I cannot comprehend this silence'

"The incident of rape that occurred in Küçükçekmece is not the first. But, I want it to be the last. All mothers should stand up regarding this issue.

"I think that all women should take to the streets against these developments. What has been going on is very upsetting. There is a deep silence around this issue, which I cannot comprehend.

"I do not know if my protest will produce any results or not. I am inviting all women to come here and to be on my side."

According to the Male Violence Monitoring Report released by bianet, men sexually abused eight girls and injured at least 20 women in March 2019. They also forced at least 22 women to sex work.

CLICK - Men Kill 22 Women in March

(EMK/SD)