10 year sentences to kids that stole 1 lira

Let’s say that while your kid goes around on his bike, kids stop him and took, by force, his one Turkish Lira and bike.

What would you do as a parent? You would get angry and think this is bullying.

Indeed, this is bullying and it happens among children.

But would your conscience accept that these kids got 10 year sentences for that?

It should not.

Let’s talk about the detail of the news. The two poor and naughty kids of the neighborhood, aged 15 and 16, see another kid who seems to be from a well-off family going around on his bike and ask him to give it to them to ride. When he refuses, they slap him, get his bicycle and ride it.

The father of the kid comes and this time, slaps the other kids and get back the bike. Then he goes to the police station to complain that “these children stole the bicycle of my kid.”

While giving his testimony, the kid says, “One of them previously took my one lira.”

A legal case is opened against the kid for theft. The juvenile court sends the case to a high criminal court because “there is crime of plunder.”

A court order is issued to apprehend the children.

They are caught and their testimony is taken.

The prosecutor says, “As for the bike, this kind of give and take can happen between children. But they should be punished for having taken one lira.”

The judge tells the lawyer, “We cannot get the sentence under two years as the damage has not been compensated. The damage should be compensated.”

Then one of the lawyers gives a lira and the damage is compensated. Then starts the problem of “what is to be done with one lira.”

It should be given to the father but he is nowhere to be found after the first trial.

The money is then put in the case’s dossier.

The court sentenced them to ten years in prison. They will not go to prison for now, as the declaration of the sentence has been postponed. The dossier will be closed provided they do not commit any other crime in the next five years.

If they commit a crime, the sentence will be read to them and they will be asked to appeal the sentence. If they don’t appeal and the sentence is approved in the court of cassation, they will serve their prison term.

There are such cases with kids ending up in prison.

They sentenced kids in juvenile courts for miniscule things you can’t count as crimes. Children should not be sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for one lira.

There are other ways. For instance, some judges working on juvenile courts ask for a social analysis report. A psychiatrist or a psychologist talks to the kid and says, for instance, “This kid comes from a divided family; he has been devoid of education; he is poor.” Whether the crime stems from the kid or from society is debated.

And as a result, instead of giving a sentence, another form of sanction is found.  

A lawyer talked to me about such legal cases.

A kid receiving vocational training at the courses organized by a municipality stole a car radio. There is an open case of crime. But the judge decides to acquit him, saying, “I am not giving you a sentence because you are going to vocational training. But don’t ever stop your education.”

But the same judge treats another child who was involved several times in a crime in which he steals by narcotizing his victim with a spray.

“You did not do this previously. You have become a professional. Now I will give you the heaviest sentence because you have become a professional thief.”

When it comes to children, one needs to be very careful in making distinctions between cases.