New Law on Child Abuse
Turkey approved the "Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse". The agreement is being enforced by the publication in the Official Gazette and will cause several amendments in the current law.
The essence of the law known by the public as the "law of castration" will not change. There will be no conceptual amendment on the subject of "Chemical interference into the testosterone hormones of persons committing crimes of sexual abuse". The law which was reviewed by the Justice Commission will be amended according to the decision of the Council of Europe.
According to the press, an amendment is expected on calls through the internet for meetings with children which shall be evaluated as the attempt of sexual abuse.
Moreover, criteria will be defined for the choice of persons on duty in sectors of child education, health, social protection, judiciary and police. Individuals who have previously been convicted of sexual exploitation or abuse of children will not be entitled to work in any of the above mentioned fields.
Juveniles under the age of 18 will be considered "children". Sexual intercourse with children younger than 18 years old will be a crime. Likewise, child pornography and forcing a child to witness sexual activities or sexual abuse shall be considered a crime.
A number of precautions are being mentioned to prevent and counteract child abuse:
*Children will be informed on and made aware of sexual abuse and related risks in primary and secondary education.
* Telephone lines and internet help lines will be established to provide confidential counselling in order to counteract sexual abuse and exploitation.
* In case a child experienced sexual abuse or exploitation through the parents or anybody else responsible for the child, either the child or the perpetrator will be taken out of the family.
* Trials related to sexual abuse will be handled with priority.
* The identity and the genetic profile (DNA) of the person committing sexual abuse will be stored and can be forwarded to other countries.
* The identity of children who experienced rape or abuse shall be kept confidential and not disclosed to the public.
* During judicial procedures, the child will not meet the perpetrator at court.
"A law cannot be established upon the denial of sexuality"
Prof. Serdar M. Değirmencioğlu from the Cumhuriyet University Department of Psychology evaluated the anticipated amendments and the logic behind the law for bianet. "Sexual abuse cannot be prevented by purifying the world children and juveniles are living in from sexuality", Değirmencioğlu said.
He drew attention to the problem that "sexuality is being confined in a narrow space that corresponds to a conservative world view".
"Personally, I do not see a satisfying proposal. The studies and researches carried out around the world cannot be said to be sufficiently compatible. They are much more echoing the applications of conservative US American governments. The logic is being followed that says 'We do not like this, we do not want this and we punish the ones who are doing it. Our punishments might also make one's eyes pop'"
"This can be observed in many places as on kind of indicator for conservatism. Similar applications are valid most of all in Islamic countries: Instead of taking the existing problem seriously, existing sexual relations in particular are being transformed into a crime and being made a more and more untouchable subject (...)".
Attempt to purify society from sexuality is a mistake
Değirmencioğlu emphasized that this kind of laws could not be established upon the denial of sexuality.
"A school and a world purified of sexuality will not prevent sexual abuse. To the contrary, making children and juveniles familiar with sexuality is an important step in terms of prevention of sexual abuse". (YY/VK)