It is not big deal, says cult leader about sexual abuse
Musa Kesler - ISTANBUL
The 58-year-old cult leader, arrested for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, confessed his crime in his testimony to the Public Prosecution Office in the northwestern province of Sakarya.
“I made a mistake but it is not a big deal. We did not go further. I am remorseful,” said Eyüp Fatih Şağban, the leader of Uşşaki cult to the prosecutors, according to daily Hürriyet.
Some phone call records that took place between Şağban and the girl’s father and another follower of the cult were added by the officials to the file.
In the records, Şağban wanted from the girl’s father to cover-up the incident. “If people hear this, I either commit suicide or leave from here. I may have made a mistake, but we did not go further,” said the cult leader to the father adding that he is important for the cult.
“If I go away, the cult will be finished. All of our missions will be down.”
He openly asked the father not to be a complainant while finishing the dialogue.
Carrying out his activities based in Istanbul, Şağban also had a summer house used as a dergah in Sakarya’s Akyazı district, where he accepted his guests and followers, according to the investigation file at the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Şağban abused the 12-year-old girl more than once, who was staying at the dergah with her parents and were his followers, stated the file.
The girl said Şağban abused her while she was taking tea and other times when they were alone.
She was also abused during her sleep, but she was not able to tell about it until now because of her fear, according to her testimony.
Following the testimony at the prosecutor’s office, Şağban was arrested by court order and was sent to the Ferizli Prison in Sakarya on Sept. 3.
