One year in jail demanded for McDonalds’ employee who threw boiled water on boy in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office has demanded up to one-and-a-half year in jail for an employee at a McDonalds’ branch who threw boiling water on a seven-year-old boy in Istanbul.

Mutlu Haceroğlu threw boiled water on Polat Kara at the restaurant in Istanbul’s upscale Nişantaşı district on May 9. 

Haceroğlu said she threw water on Kara after he disturbed customers, according to the indictment. 

The prosecution stated that boiling water should be considered a weapon due to the first degree burns on Kaya’s body, demanding a jail sentence between six months and 1.5 years on charges of “deliberately injuring with a weapon.” 

If the indictment is accepted, Haceroğlu will stand trial.

On May 9, witness Atakan Yusuf informed the police about the incident and called an ambulance for Polat, who received severe burns on his back and neck.     

Polat was taken to a hospital, where medics diagnosed first degree burns on his body. He was then sent to his family, who live in a shantytown in Istanbul’s Şişli district.

Polat’s mother, Ipek Kara, a mother of six, said she would not file a complaint against Haceroğlu.

“She threw boiled water on him after he bought a bottle of water. She has apparently been fired. I don’t know whether she burned him deliberately or not,” said Kaya. 

Haceroğlu claims that the incident was an accident, and was released after being detained on charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

“Two or three children came to the restaurant and started disturbing the customers. I wanted to scare them with a glass of hot water. But it poured onto them by accident,” she said in her testimony.

Haceroğlu was fired after the incident, according to a written statement issued by McDonalds’ on May 10.