Parliament forms board to inquire child murders, abuse

ANKARA

The Turkish parliament has unanimously approved the establishment of a commission to investigate child murders and abuse with cross-party support.

The general assembly merged motions presented to the speaker’s office by various political parties, aimed at identifying the necessary measures “to shield children from all forms of violence, neglect and exploitation, thereby ensuring their mental, emotional and physical well-being,” a document said.

The commission, consisting of 22 members, will have a mandate of three months, with the provision to conduct its inquiries outside the capital Ankara, if deemed necessary.

According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), there has been a staggering 42 percent rise in the number of child victims and a 57 percent increase in juveniles drawn into criminal incidents since 2020.

Opposition İYİ (Good) Party MP Selcan Taşcı argued that while the number of cases has surged, the rates of prosecution and conviction have dwindled.

"We must construct a system that not only deters initial offenses but also extinguishes the courage to commit a second," she remarked.

Derya Yanık, the chair of the parliamentary commission on human rights inquiry and an MP from the ruling Development and Justice Party (AKP), highlighted that children comprise 26 percent of the Turkish population, with 22 million minors under their purview.

She emphasized the paramount duty of safeguarding their physical and mental health to prepare them for a secure future.

Since late August, Türkiye has been gripped by the murder of an 8-year-old girl in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. Following weeks of searches, her body was discovered in a creek, leading to widespread outrage as suspicion centered on multiple family members, including her mother, brother and uncle.