15-year-old child sexually abused in Batman

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A man named M.A. has been arrested as part of the investigation launched into the incident where a 15-year-old child was sexually abused and two women were forced to do sex work in a village in Gercüş district in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Batman.

Having reported on the issue, Jinnews indicated that 27 people including police officers, specialist sergeants and village guards were involved in the incident. However, in a written statement released by the Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it has been stated that "no public official has been identified as a suspect in the investigation."

While a confidentiality order has been imposed on the file, a broadcast and publication ban has been imposed on the news about the issue.

One person arrested

As reported by Jinnews, a child aged 15 went to the hospital due to a stomach ache; however, it was understood that the girl was pregnant and she had been raped. Two men, M.A. and V.A., were detained upon the criminal complaint of the child. M.A. has been arrested afterwards.

Jinnews has also indicated that the investigation has been extended, the names of 27 men, including specialist sergeants, police officers and village guards, were mentioned in the extended investigation; however, only the names of 11 men have been added to the file.

Confidentiality order, broadcast/ publication ban

After the incident was reported in the press and caused a public outrage, the Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has released a statement and rejected the allegations. In its statement about the investigation launched into the sexual abuse of the child named P.Ö., the office has said that it felt the need to make a statement about the issue and added:

"The aggrieved child applied to our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 12, 2020 and stated that she had been raped and got pregnant.

"As the incident happened within the borders of Gercüş district, the investigation file was sent to the Gercüş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 17, 2020. In the light of allegations/ statements of the victim and the suspect, the Gercüş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has been collecting all evidence and examining them meticulously.

"As part of the investigation, one of the suspects M.A. was arrested on November 13, 2020. While a confidentiality order and a publication/ broadcast ban was imposed as per the decision of the Gercüş Penal Judgeship of Peace dated November 18, 2020, the posts and allegations reported by some media organizations do not reflect the truth. No public official has been identified as a suspect in the investigation."

The Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has also indicated that the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

#GercüşteNeOluyor

After the incident was reported in the press, several people, including journalists and opposition politicians, have tweeted under the hashtag "#GercüşteNeOluyor" and asked, "What is happening in Gercüş?"

Reminding the public that specialist sergeant Musa Orhan raped İpek Er and drove her into suicide in Batman province before, several social media users have also denounced the fact that Musa Orhan is still free and criticized the policy of impunity in the country.

Journalist Burcu Karakaş has said, "News need to be reported so that the public can find an answer to the question #GercüşteNeOluyor. However, we cannot make news because there is a confidentiality order and a broadcast/ publication ban. In other words, attorneys, from whom we can get information as journalists, cannot access the file. Even if we do, it is forbidden. What does so much transparency signify?"

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Women's Branch Chair Aylin Nazlıaka has also announced that they will closely follow the investigation launched into the incident.

"We will not let them say that 'it was the consent of the little one', as they did in the N.Ç. case," Nazlıaka has said, raising concerns that "every crime kept out of the public eye incites another crime." (TP/SD)