‘Virginity report’ given to abused pregnant child in central Turkey
İdris Emen – ÇORUM
Another report prepared by a hospital in Çorum stated that the report prepared by the forensics institute in Ankara was incorrect, stressing that the mentally disabled child, identified only by the initials as A.Ş., was pregnant.
“Physical indications may not be present in such long-term sexual abuse cases. There is both medical and legal neglect in this example,” forensic science expert Şebnem Korur Fincancı told daily Hürriyet on May 17, saying the report was prepared with “shortcomings.”
“In addition to physical findings, psychological examinations should also be added to reports in sexual abuse cases. Any report prepared without checking the mental health of the child is deficient. If the victim’s pregnancy is not properly understood, then sexual abuse cannot be proven,” Fincancı added.
The child’s father, identified only as O.Ş., was arrested on Sept. 8, 2015, the same day as the report was prepared with physical examinations of his daughter by the Ankara forensics institute. O.Ş. was released the following day, after the report claimed that his daughter was “anatomically a virgin” as she was pregnant for only one month.
However, a later report prepared by a hospital in Çorum on Sept. 23, 2015 stated that the child had actually been pregnant for six months and three days. O.Ş. was rearrested 15 days later, after a DNA test confirmed that he had sexually abused his daughter.
The child’s father and uncle are now being tried under arrest at the Çorum First Heavy Penal Court, while her brother is being tried in a juvenile court.
The first hearing of the trial was in April and the second was due to be held on May 17.