İSTANBUL - AKP brought the amnesty to child sexual abuse amnesty to the agenda despite the reactions. Volkan Çolakoğlu, Spokesperson of the Association for Combating Child Abuse and Neglect, said that if the amnesty is granted, the consequences will be grave.

 

AKP- MHP government did not exclude the the draft about granting amnesty to those who committed sexual abuse against children due to early marriage despite the reactions. 

 

With the arrangement to be made, it is stated that those who have 10 years or below age difference in marriage will be granted amnesty for once.

 

According to women's organizations and child rights advocates, the AKP has been keeping its proposals on the agenda of the law that will pave the way for child abuse since its inception. 

 

Yapılacak düzenleme ile evlilikte yaş farkının 10 yaş ve altında olması ve "rızaya dayalı evlilik" olması koşulunu taşıyanların bir kereye mahsus olmak üzere affedilebileceği belirtiliyor. The article 'The punishment of the perpetrator is removed in case of marrying the victim of rape' was brought to the agenda while Turkish Penal Code was being prepared in 2004, but the article was withdrawn due to reactions.In 2016, the debate on “amnesty” was brought to the agenda for those who committed the crime of sexual abuse of children, although the draft was abandoned which would pave the way for marrying these children to their abusers, the age of consent was reduced from 15 to 12.

 

Association for Combating Child Abuse and Neglect Spokesperson Volkan Çolakoğlu evaluated the amnesty and Children's Rights Convention signed by Turkey.

 

"We, as the people who devoted themselves to the free future of the children, will set ourselves on fire if necessary if this proposal is tabled at the parliament" said Çolakoğlu. Adding that the consequences will be grave in case of the enactment of this proposal, Çokaloğlu said that the abuse crimes will increase and the abusers will be free due to the impunity policy.

 

Çolakoğlu, stated that they will do all that in their power to prevent this law both in terms of domestic and international law. Drawing attention to the legal procedure, Çolakoğlu said: "This can legally be approved by the parliament. But there is a constitutional process after that. Political parties and NGOs have the right to an appeal. If the law proposal is not cancelled in this process, we are a party to both the Human Rights Convention and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in international law. Then this will carried to UN and ECHR. That is why it will be hard for Turkey to enact this proposal. They can't dare it. It can technically be enacted but we have to comply with the international laws. This law will eventually be cancelled and the sanctions will be severe. Ofcourse, this can take a 2-3 years time during when all perpetrators will be released and we will have to face grave consequences."

 

Underlining that such a law is contrary to children's rights, Çolakoğlu stated that they have no choice but to fight, and said: "You don't need to be a woman to stand against this law. These children belongs to all of us and it is our job as adults to protect these children. They can not enact this law as long as we loudly and strongly protest." 

 

MA / Semra Turan