It is learned that 50-year-old Suat Aslan, who owns a breakfast shop in Elbak (Başkale) district of Wan (Van), systematically sexually abused a 9-year-old girl for months. The harassment was revealed when the child told her mother H.G. about what happened. Aslan was detained within the scope of the investigation initiated after mother H.G. filed a complaint and was arrested and sent to prison. 

 

In her testimony at the Child Monitoring Center (ÇİM) on August 30, the child stated that the harassment by Aslan, who followed her every time she went out, continued for about 2-3 months. The child said that Aslan warned her not to say anything to anyone after each harassment and filed a complaint against him. 

 

MOTHER: WE ARE BEING THREATENED 

 

Mother H.G. stated that they were threatened by relatives and acquaintances of the perpetrator after the harassment incident was revealed. Stating that they were pressured to retract the statement, mother H.G. continued as follows: “They are trying to exonerate the perpetrator. We were slandered. Lastly, they said 'he harassed the older one, not the younger one'. Will it be considered normal when it is the older one? Will his crime be lessened when the child is older? Or will a perception be created that 'the older one consented'? Different people came to our door offering money. But we will not withdraw the statement. He has harmed my child. We demand that this man receive the harshest punishment. Otherwise neither we nor our children will be safe. If harassers and rapists are left unpunished, none of our lives are safe. All institutions need to be sensitive at this point.”