Kindergarten closed after death of three-year-old boy in shuttle bus in Turkey’s west

İZMİR

A kindergarten in the Aegean province of İzmir was closed down on Aug. 18 after a three-year-old toddler died inside the school’s shuttle.   

Alperen Sakin was reportedly forgotten inside the shuttle after arriving at his kindergarten in İzmir’s Çiğli district on Aug. 15. After several hours, officials from the kindergarten found him fainted in the shuttle.

The death triggered anger among the society, with many parents sending their children to the kindergarten filing complaints and demanding the closure of the school.
 
Upon the reactions, the provincial directorate of education in İzmir sent its inspectors to take part in the school’s investigation process. 

After reports and an examination, the inspectors ruled for the closure of the kindergarten. But the report also revealed that Alperen was not officially registered in the kindergarten. 

Following the incident, two people, identified only by their initials T.İ. and D.K., were detained and referred to a court. The court arrested the driver of the shuttle but the other suspect was released on Aug. 17.

The owner of the kindergarten, Yurdagül İşgören, in her initial testimony, said they found him fainted when they went to wake him up.

İşgören later changed her testimony, saying she had no idea about the little boy. She blamed the teachers and said they should have noticed his absence when they took the attendance.  

İşgören also reportedly stole camera footage while she was with the toddler’s grieving mother, telling her that the cameras were not working when she asked