Turkish educator gets 48 years in jail for sexually abusing child at cult-run dorm

A Turkish court on Feb. 9 sentenced an educator working at a cult-run dormitory to 48 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old student. The dormitory question belongs to a religious group called Süleymancılar who are infamous for failing to prevent sexual abuse in their facilities.

Thursday February 10 2022 01:30 pm

A protestor holds a banner reading 'Child abuse is crime' during a protest in this file photo.

Duvar English

A Turkish court on Feb. 9 sentenced an educator to 48 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old student at a cult-run dormitory in the Fatsa district of the northern province of Ordu.

The court sentenced the dormitory employee Yusuf K. on charges of "sexual assault" and "deprivation of liberty."

The dormitory question belongs to a religious group called Süleymancılar who are infamous for failing to prevent sexual abuse in their facilities.

Yusuf K. was jailed last year after the incident came out to light.

At the time, the assailant had reportedly said to the child's family, "I followed the devil. I repented last night. I prostrated myself."

During the last hearing of the case on Feb. 9, the lawyer of the child’s family said: “It is understood that the suspect has stayed at the dormitory, served as an educator and lived closely with the students. He sexually assaulted the victim with fraudulent behavior by using his influence as an educator in the dormitory and committed the crimes of deprivation of liberty more than once."

The head of the Ordu Bar Association, Sibel Torun, also attended the hearing.

Cult-run dormitories have been drawing attention in Turkey with several incidents of oppression, raping, abusing, murders and suicides.