Alleged sexual harassment of six-year-old stirs neighborhood in Turkey’s Diyarbakır

DİYARBAKIR

Hundreds of locals in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır hit the streets to protest an alleged sexual harassment incident against a six-year-old girl on June 25, prompting clashes with the police, Doğan News Agency has reported.

Tension erupted in Diyarbakır’s central Bağlar district after an unnamed individual was alleged to have sexually harassed a six-year-old playing in a school park in the evening hours.

Relatives and locals gathered around the school and attempted to get inside the Kazım Karabekir Middle School building, where they believed the alleged harasser was hiding. Police were dispatched to the area to prevent people from breaking inside the school. 

Police told the angry crowd that the alleged harasser was not inside the building and tried to calm them down. Clashes erupted as stones were thrown by some in the crowd and tear gas was fired by the police, dispersing the group into the sidestreets. 

However, the crowd gathered again in front of the school, with some locals sitting on the ground on a nearby street, closing it to traffic. They reportedly ended their protest after negotiating with police.

Police were indicated to be continuing work to find and detain the alleged harasser on June 26, having analyzed security cameras in the area. The suspect is determined to be in his 20s, dark-skinned, tall, with a stubbly beard and a tattoo with the word “Murat” on his arm. 

The authorities have not revealed the name of the six-year-old victim or her family due to security concerns.