Turkish girl’s suicide due to alleged sexual abuse sparks outrage

Gülden Aydın - KAYSERİ

A Turkish high-school student’s suicide following a sexual assault by her math teacher in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri has sparked nationwide outrage while resuming the debate about violence against women.

Seventeen-year-old Cansel B.K. shot herself to death at home in Kayseri’s Melikgazi neighborhood on Feb. 17 after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by her math teacher, 33-year-old Bayram Özcan, who was arrested Feb. 20.

The incident has sparked nationwide anger, spurring hundreds to stage street demonstrations against the killing women and sexual abuses. It also created an uproar on social media.

Friends of the 17-year-old girl claimed Özcan sexually abused the girl after giving her drugs.

“Cansel told only the vice-principal of the school, M.T.İ., about the incident a day after. The principal and the school counselor had no information about it. But M.T.İ. tried to cover up the incident... In the end, Cansel killed herself,” daily Hürriyet quoted one of Cansel’s friend as saying.

“His jokes were always embarrassing for us. Cansel took private courses from him. We heard around 10 days ago about intimacy between them,” another friend of hers was quoted by the daily.

“The school administration did nothing about Professor Bayram,” he added. “She killed herself because of this.”

Kayseri Gov. Orhan Düzgün said in a written statement that a legal and executive probe had been launched, while a criminal complaint was also filed against the school administration. The high school principal, identified as E.E., and vice principals, M.T.İ and A.E., were suspended along with school councilors Z.A. and K.C., on allegations of negligence.

The student’s case has attracted widespread attention on social media, with the hashtag #canseliçinsusma (Don’t be silent for Cansel) becoming a trending topic on Twitter.