Man sentenced 51 years in jail for sexually abusing 4.5-year-old girl
ADANA
Sedat Keser has been sentenced 51 years in jail on charges of sexually abusing a 4.5-year-old girl in the southern province of Adana, an incident that sparked a heated debate in Turkey.
In his testimony, Keser denied the charges and asked for his release, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on March 16.
However, the Adana Seventh Heavy Penal Court sentenced him on charges of “sexually abusing a minor” and “depriving the minor of their liberty with the use or threat of force.”
On Feb. 10, Keser had allegedly entered a house where the 4.5-year-old girl was sleeping, while a wedding ceremony took place outside in Adana.
Entering the house to go to the toilet, one of the guests reportedly found him next to the 4.5-year-old girl without his clothes on. Keser narrowly escaped a lynch attempt.
Turkey has been engaged in a heated debate about the abuse and mistreatment of children, which has become more apparent after the incident in Adana.
Amid national outrage over the case, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Feb. 20 that the “harshest penalties” would be applied in such cases.
Chemical castration would be “a small part of measures” to be taken, said Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ on Feb. 24.
The procedure involves using anaphrodisiac drugs to reduce sexual drive and performance, however, it does not prevent a person from experiencing sexual urges forever. The drug is administered either by mouth or injection, with a frequency of between once every month to three months.
