When the association compiled the numbers, and prepared to publish the details, the Turkish Justice Department ordered “access prevention” to data kept in the Statistics and Records department.
Turkish Justice Department started preventing access to data when the child abuse cases reached an all-time high.
In a report by the Association to Fight Against Child Abuse and Neglect, sexual abuse of children has risen to unprecedented levels. Compared to 2014, the cases rose 67.9% in 2017. The number of reported cases in 2017 reached 18,623. Between those years, 7,466 boys and 51,818 girls were assaulted for a total of 59,284.
When the association compiled the numbers, and prepared to publish the details, the Turkish Justice Department ordered “access prevention” to data kept in the Statistics and Records department.
Reported in Gazete Rüzgârlı, the child abuse numbers show a dangerous trend in a society many associate with becoming more conservative.
The report was prepared by Yadigar Aygün, the data is broken down by years and the increase in the trend is alarming. Cited in the same report, 946 children were taken into care due to sexual abuse in 2014. In 2017, the same category shows 1,085.
The reported court cases also show an increase where between 2005 and 2015 there was a sharp upturn in 2008. Prior to that year the number of cases were around 4,000, however, the number jumped to around 18,000 in that year.
There is a debate in Turkey as the government wants to lower the age of marriage to allow girls to be married at younger ages, a trend that has been growing under the Islamic government of the AKP party. Women and human rights groups, on the other hand, have been fighting against this government demand.
Sendika.org News (M.B.)