Principal arrested again for sexual abuse of 6 girls
As his trial drew widespread attention, a court in western Turkey ordered the arrest of Adil Ş., a 66-year-old principal accused of sexually abusing six girls at his school. The defendant was released last year pending trial and was expected to be released in upcoming hearings before a fellow teacher sought the support of activists to draw attention to the case.
Adil Ş. ran a village school for decades in the Menderes district of the western city of İzmir, and stands accused of the 2014 sexual abuse of minors, when he is accused of forcing six girls between the ages of six and 11 to watch porn films before abusing them. Prosecutors have asked that he be given a life sentence but judges have ruled for his release due to his lengthy detainment in the pre-trial phase. Fearing that the case would be closed and Adil Ş., given a light sentence, another teacher at the school, Saadet Özcan, filed a complaint with the Prime Ministry. Since then, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies as well as women's rights activists have been involved in the case, demanding that a tougher sentence be given to the defendant.
The court, composed of a new panel judges, ordered the new arrest of Adil Ş., who denied the charges at a hearing yesterday, while a large delegation of lawyers and lawmakers watched. Lawyers from the Ministry of Family and Social Policies said the girls remained traumatized and were receiving psychiatric treatment. They are asking that the defendant be charged for violence as well, with victims claiming that he slapped them several times. The hearing was adjourned until a future date for a final verdict in the case.
Among the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) monitoring the trial, representatives from the Woman and Democracy Association (KADEM) spoke to reporters before the hearing. KADEM President Sare Aydın Yılmaz said they expect the defendant to be heavily penalized, setting a precedent to prevent more cases like this from happening in the future. "We ask the public to be aware of this case so that [pedophiles] live in shame, not the innocent children who became their victims. We ask everyone to join us in our struggle to stop the perverts. Women and children are the most fragile members of society and violence, of any kind, against them, is totally unacceptable."
Adil Ş. ran a village school for decades in the Menderes district of the western city of İzmir, and stands accused of the 2014 sexual abuse of minors, when he is accused of forcing six girls between the ages of six and 11 to watch porn films before abusing them. Prosecutors have asked that he be given a life sentence but judges have ruled for his release due to his lengthy detainment in the pre-trial phase. Fearing that the case would be closed and Adil Ş., given a light sentence, another teacher at the school, Saadet Özcan, filed a complaint with the Prime Ministry. Since then, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies as well as women's rights activists have been involved in the case, demanding that a tougher sentence be given to the defendant.
The court, composed of a new panel judges, ordered the new arrest of Adil Ş., who denied the charges at a hearing yesterday, while a large delegation of lawyers and lawmakers watched. Lawyers from the Ministry of Family and Social Policies said the girls remained traumatized and were receiving psychiatric treatment. They are asking that the defendant be charged for violence as well, with victims claiming that he slapped them several times. The hearing was adjourned until a future date for a final verdict in the case.
Among the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) monitoring the trial, representatives from the Woman and Democracy Association (KADEM) spoke to reporters before the hearing. KADEM President Sare Aydın Yılmaz said they expect the defendant to be heavily penalized, setting a precedent to prevent more cases like this from happening in the future. "We ask the public to be aware of this case so that [pedophiles] live in shame, not the innocent children who became their victims. We ask everyone to join us in our struggle to stop the perverts. Women and children are the most fragile members of society and violence, of any kind, against them, is totally unacceptable."
Last Update: June 29, 2016 01:57