Court suspends punishment for vice-principal convicted of sexually harassing underage students

BALIKESİR

A court in Turkey’s western province of Balıkesir has suspended jail time given to a vice-principal who was convicted of sexually abusing four underage female students, on grounds that “an opinion was formed that he would not commit the same crime again,” daily Milliyet reported.

Identified as A.D., a vice-principal at a Balıkesir high school was sued for abusing four female students under the age of 18 and proven to be guilty of harassment. 

He was sentenced to eight months in jail for each of the four students, making a total of 32 months. The court later increased the jail time to one year per student, because A.D. had committed the crime by using a relationship built on education. However, the court then decreased his to 10 months per student, citing the convict’s good behavior in court. 

As a result, the court’s final sentence gave A.D. a total of 40 months in jail; however, the announcement of the verdict was deferred, due to the court forming the opinion that the convict would not commit a like crime. The basis for the court’s opinion came from A.D.’s good behavior at court and lack of a previous intentional crime. 

On the condition the convict would not commit another intentional crime in the next five years, the court released A.D. and suspended his prison time. 

The court also decided that there was no need for A.D.’s punishment to be converted into a penalty.

However, the court also decided that until his execution ends, A.D. is banned from working at public institutions. 

In his testimony, A.D. said the issue was a slander campaign against him. He demanded his acquittal because of his professed innocence but asked that if a punishment was to be handed, then his verdict’s announcement be deferred. 

While the court was in session, A.D. was appointed to another school as a principal, as he received 96 points out of 100 at the Education Ministry’s principal exam.