Turkish teacher seeks retirement to avoid sexual assault probe

Nurettin Kurt – ANKARA

A high school Qur’an teacher who is being tried for sexually abusing 11 students and a parent has demanded his retirement in order to avoid an administrative investigation and maintain his retirement rights.

S.A., a Qur’an teacher at the Keçiören Religious Vocational (İmam Hatip) High School in Ankara, faces 274.5 years in prison for sexually abusing 11 female students and a parent after a probe was launched against him by a prosecutor’s office.  

“S.A. kissed several girls younger than 15 after hugging them around the waist as he assaulted them while also embarrassing them by staring at them, touching them and asking about their periods,” the indictment said, adding that similar complaints were made against the suspected teacher.

The Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office, however, refused to prosecute S.A. in 2004 over charges of sexual assault. 

In his defense, S.A. said: “I show [the students] the needed love and compassion without differentiating between boys and girls. My students, in return, show their respects while seeing me as their dad,” he said.
The court will hear the suspect on April 1.

Relatives of the complainants have said the school administration tried to cover up the incident and did not carry out a proper administrative investigation. 

The suspect has not been arrested and is hoping to avoid an administrative investigation by retiring, they said.

In her statement, the assaulted parent also said she informed the school administration but officials tried to cover up the incident.

If the suspected teacher retires before the administrative investigation is completed, he will be able to maintain his retirement rights even if he is found guilty.