Family and Social Policies Ministry faces legal complaint over baby sexual abuse case

İsmail Saymaz – VAN

A court in the eastern province of Van has filed a criminal complaint against the Family and Social Policies Ministry over its failure to follow a case regarding a 38-day-old’s baby death after sexual abuse. 

The baby’s mother, Pınar Tatar, was allegedly a drug addict and was released from prison shortly before giving birth on Dec. 10, 2016.

Tatar and her boyfriend took the baby to a hospital on Jan. 26, 2017, and doctors detected a fracture on the baby’s skull, bruises on the body and signs of sexual abuse. He died from injuries a day after being brought to hospital.

The heavy penal court in Van found Tatar and her boyfriend guilty for the baby’s death and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The couple’s friend, who was with them on the day of the incident, was also sentenced to 15 years in jail for taking part in the crime.

Tatar, her boyfriend and a friend of them reportedly used drugs on the day when the baby was harmed.

Meanwhile, the court also invited the Ministry Of Family and Social Policies to follow the case; however, no representative from the Van Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Policies joined the trial.

The court filed a legal complaint against the Ministry Of Family and Social Policies for not following the case despite “the importance of the case and the public indignation it could create.”

The court also called for an investigation into whether any official from the ministry was in charge of protecting the baby and if there was any ministry officials were guilty of negligence regarding the case.

The case was considered a landmark case and a total of seven bars were in attendance.