Prosecutor seeks up to 15 years in jail for personnel over sexually abusing children in Turkey’s Konya

KONYA

A prosecutor has demanded up to 15 years in prison for four Quran school personnel over sexual abuse of children in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, daily Habertürk has reported.

Inspectors of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) first opened an investigation after an anonymous tip-off in 2016 that five workers at the school, aged between 16 and 17, had allegedly sexually abused a number of children aged between 11 and 12. 

The Diyanet inspectors interviewed children attending the Quran school, applying to the Konya Chief Prosecutor’s Office after taking written statements and preparing a case. 

One of the children at the school told investigators that he was abused by school personnel.

“I started Quran lessons in the summer of 2014. Our teacher brothers did evil [sexual abuse] during the boarding process at the school. But I did not tell anyone and I did not want to be a complainer,” he reportedly said.    

One of the other abused children also said he did not tell anybody because he was afraid.      
 
“I boarded at the school between the ages of 10 and 12. I left in 2015. I did not complain about what happened to me there,” he said.  

“I stayed there approximately one year. Two personnel who worked at the school approached me sexually. After a while I heard that one of them was killed in a car accident. I did not complain to anybody about what happened,” he added.   

Four suspects are standing trial in the case without arrest, while the other suspect was killed in a car accident.

The third hearing of the trial will take place on June 3.