Turkish court fails to arrest father suspected of molesting his kids, again

A court failed to arrest a man accused of molesting his children after the third hearing of the case against him. A prosecutor had previously failed to convict him because of an ongoing divorce case with the children's mother.

Duvar English

A Turkish court failed to arrest a man who was revealed during a divorce trial to have molested his kids during the third hearing of the case against him.

The hearing was postponed to September 15 because the indictment of the defendant, identified only as M.A.K., wasn't compliant with methodology.

"The prosecutor still hadn't prepared a proper indictment," lawyer Sevil Aracı said. "We are calling for the immediate arrest of the defendant. He still works at a children's hospital. We are worried that he will hurt others."

The Adana Women's Platform noted in an official statement that an inspection by social services had revealed the abuse, that the kids had told a kindergarten teacher earlier and that the kids had testified about it.

The platform also noted that the prosecutor's office had previously failed to convict the father on the grounds of "ongoing relations between the parents in the form of a divorce trial" and that a "well-intentioned approach to the case would mean not being able to even imagine a father abusing his 2013 and 2014 born children."

The official statement slammed the court's ruling to allow the defendant to hold his position at a children's hospital and said that he had threatened the platform as well.

"It's almost as bad as a dismissal to allow someone who is most likely a child abuser keep his job at a children's hospital, as it would be to dismiss the case."

"On top of that, the defendant is on trial free of arrest. All this make us think that the defendant is being protected."

M.A.K.'s abuse of his children was revealed during divorce proceedings with the children's mother, whom the defendant had been abusive toward as well.

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