Fast food restaurant employee throws boiled water on seven-year-old boy in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

An employee at the branch of a world-famous fast food restaurant in Istanbul threw boiled water on a seven-year-old boy, blaming him for disturbing customers on May 9, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The waitress, Mutlu Haceroğlu, threw boiled water on the little boy, Polat Kara, at the restaurant in Istanbul’s upscale Nişantaşı district. 

Atakan Yusuf, a customer who witnessed the incident, reacted to Haceroğlu. He informed the police and called an ambulance for Polat after he received severe burn on his back and neck.     

Polat was taken to a hospital, as medics diagnosed a first degree burn on his body. He was then sent to his family, who live in a shantytown in the Şişli district.

In his testimony, Polat said Haceroğlu had also beaten him up.

“The sister [Haceroğlu] approached me. First, she beat me up. I then went outside. She followed me and threw water on me. She continued to beat me up while I was crying,” he said.

Polat’s mother, Ipek Kaya, a mother of six, said she would not file a complaint against her.

“She had thrown boiled water on him after he bought a bottle of water. I wanted to see the person who burned my child, but they did because she had already been fired. I don’t know whether she burned him consciously or unconsciously,” said Kaya, who makes a living from collecting paper from the streets. 

Haceroğlu, who said she threw water on him accidently, was released after being detained on charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

“Two or three children came to the restaurant and started disturbing the customers. I wanted to scare them with a glass of hot water. But it poured by accident,” she said in her testimony.