Police detain 27 suspects in child sexual abuse case in Istanbul

A total of 27 suspects were detained in Istanbul on allegations that they sexually abused a 15-year-old child who reported having being assaulted by their family and teachers since the age of eight. The non-governmental organization that revealed the abuse noted that other children had corroborated initial reports.

Thursday December 10 2020 12:47 pm

A person holds up a sign that reads "sexual abuse of children is a crime."

Duvar English

Istanbul police detained 27 suspects in relation to the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old child, who said that they were assaulted by their father, uncle, cousins, father's friends, and teachers.

The child reported surviving abuse since the age of eight, said Saadet Özkan, Chairwoman of Turkey's Association to Combat Child Sexual Abuse.

8 yaşından itibaren o pis ellerini çocuğa uzatanlar hepiniz hesap vereceksiniz . Diğer çocukları da tespit ediyoruz . Savcılık makamı İstanbul’da 27 kişiyi gözaltına aldı . Çocuklar konuşuyor kökleriniz kazınıyor ⁦@ucimorgtr⁩ ⁦@yucelceylancom⁩ ⁦@aaemel⁩ pic.twitter.com/stuMhnb46y
— Saadet Özkan (@SaadetOzkanEfe) December 8, 2020

"The child has given their statement. We will petition for their immediate protection," Özkan said in a video on Twitter.

The chairwoman also said that others had corroborated the child's initial allegations of sexual abuse and that the other survivors would testify as well.

"None of these 27 lowlives deserve to breathe the same air as us. We will fight them, we will not leave this child, and their family alone in this," the chairwoman added.