Three defendants who had been released pending trial in a sexual harassment case involving intern students at the parliament complex have been re-arrested after an appeal.
The suspects, employees working as cooks at the parliament, are among five defendants standing trial on charges of “sexual harassment of a minor” and “sexual abuse of a child through molestation,” with prosecutors seeking prison sentences of up to 16.5 years.
A lower court had ordered the release of four detained defendants on Feb. 9, citing the time they had already spent in custody and the current state of evidence, and scheduled the next hearing for May 15. The chief prosecutor's office in Ankara objected to the decision, requesting a reassessment of the releases.
A higher court accepted the appeal and ruled that the four suspects be re-arrested. Authorities said three of the defendants have been taken back into custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fourth in Ankara.
The case stems from complaints filed by interns who were minors at the time of the alleged incidents. The parliament’s secretariat previously denied claims that the allegations had been ignored and said both administrative and judicial investigations were launched after the complaints were received.
Officials said disciplinary and legal measures were taken against implicated staff, adding that the actions of a "small number of individuals should not tarnish the institution."
