Deep silence

MEHVEŞ EVİN

At a time when everybody is locked on the Gezi demonstrations, a terrible piece of news came from the eastern province of Bingöl: Four specialist sergeants charged with sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl were released. When the news broke, it was protested during the Gezi demonstrations in Diyarbakır, Bingöl and all over the country. The Family and Social Policies Ministry and 14 bar associations announced they would be intervening parties in the case.
 
Most recently, on June 23 the secrecy decision on the investigation was not lifted and the demand for the four sergeants to be arrested was not accepted. The rape in Bingöl is not the first. Unfortunately, as long as the judiciary continues protecting, hiding and favoring civil servants involved in criminal activities, it will not be the last.

He said ‘I am pious’

Another rape story that has not been adequately discussed by the public is from Diyarbakır. This time the victim is a 12-year-old child.

After the ceremonies on Children’s Day on April 23, teacher Sabır Ceylan was caught in the act while he was raping his student in a car. Rapist Ceyhan confessed to his offense in interrogation. He claimed he was pious, the 12-year-old girl was “in love with him,” he took her to his car to persuade her and during that time because of the girl’s seduction of him he “lost control and nonindulgence.”

If this incident that happened on April 23 had not been witnessed by the police, if the police had not started legal proceedings, just as other thousands of rape incidents, this also would not have been learned.

Women and children’s rights representatives in Diyarbakır, in a statement they issued at the end of April were asking the provincial director of education: “Were there any similar incidents in schools and Quran courses where this rapist individual has worked before? If so, were there any legal proceedings regarding this person?” A deep silence.

This one religion teacher

Last month, there was another “raping the student” story; not much focus has been directed to it. This time, the rapist is a “catechism teacher,” the victim is a 14-year-old boy. Moreover, it is alleged that there are other victims in the dormitories. According to daily Hürriyet’s reporting, the student, who attended the Mardin Anatolian High School, was staying at a privately owned dormitory facility and was raped for months, beaten and threatened with “If you tell, I will kill you” by H.K., who was the manager of the dorm and catechism teacher. When the boy told his family what he was experiencing, the incident passed to court.

The hearing of H.K. is scheduled for July 11 on charges of “qualified sexual abuse and battery.” Just as in other rape cases, will the civil servant, teacher, military personnel, administrator of the state escape once again? If you want the rapists of children and women to be punished, there is one thing to do: Expose these rapists, call officials to duty.

A disaster every day in Egypt

We opened our eyes in the morning to yet another story of disaster: In Cairo, fire was opened on demonstrators supporting Mohamed Morsi. More than 50 people have died, 300 people were injured.

In Egypt, before the coup, dozens of people died in a few days in street demonstrations. After the military took over, deaths and injuries continued. However, the last attack, unfortunately, shows that the deaths will not stop.

The incident erupted, it is reported, when Morsi supporters wanted to remove the barricade set up by the military. The barricade was set up in front of the military quarters where ousted leader Morsi is being detained. Moreover, according to Ihvan sources, this took place during the morning namaz, the Islam daily prayers.

It is unacceptable that civilians are fired upon during or out of the namaz.

Mehveş Evin is a columnist for daily Milliyet, in which this piece was published on July 9. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.