‘Juveniles involved in some 499,000 incidents’

ANKARA

The number of incidents involving juveniles received into security units soared to 499,319 last year, rising nearly 10.8 percent from the previous year, according to data by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

The number of juveniles received into security units, which was 450,803 in 2020, rose to 499,319 last year, TÜİK said.

Some 132,943 of them were pushed to crime, according to TÜİK, rising nearly 16.5 percent from the previous year.

The purpose of seeking information caused 70,905 juveniles to reach out to the units, while 67,518 were held for an alleged misdemeanor. Around 19,277 were those who went missing, while 677 were those who were held in the security units for other reasons.

About 36.6 percent in some 132,943 incidents, in which juveniles were involved due to being pushed into crime, were charged with assault, TÜİK said.

While 27.2 percent of these juveniles were charged with theft, 5.1 percent of them were charged with use, sale and purchase of drugs and 4.3 percent with threat.

The TÜİK also pointed out that 3.8 percent of the juveniles pushed into crime were charged with a sexual offense.

The number of juveniles received into security units as victims was 207,999 last year, which was 170,961 in 2021, TÜİK said.

Around 186,014 of them were victims of crime, while 57.4 percent were victims of assault, TÜİK said.

While juveniles who were victims of sexual offense constitute 13 percent, 12.4 percent of them were victims of abuse committed in their families

Around 4.5 percent of the juveniles received into security units were victims of threat, while 12.6 percent arrived for some other reasons, according to TÜİK.

The incidents that had to be followed up made 21,952 juveniles to come to the security units, TÜİK added.

The purpose of seeking information caused 70,905 juveniles to arrive at the units, while 67,518 were held for an alleged misdemeanor, 19,277 for missing and 677 for other reasons.