Prosecutor demands: Lawsuit filed against 16-year-old girl for insulting the President

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to see an increase in the number of children detained and sued for allegedly insulting him.

It has emerged that an indictment was prepared and a lawsuit filed against a child detained in Istanbul for allegedly committing the crime of insulting the President.

According to a report by İsmail Arı from BirGün; a 16-year-old girl was detained on May 12 upon the instruction of a presidential bodyguard, on allegations that she used profanity while President Erdoğan's convoy was passing by.

'I WAS WAITING AT THE CROSSWALK AND REACTED OUT OF FEAR'

The child, who was held in custody for one day, stated in her testimony: “I had survived an accident 6 months ago. On the day of the incident, I was waiting at a pedestrian crossing and reacted out of fear when a vehicle approached at high speed. I did not know that any state official, including the President, would be there. It is out of the question for me to insult any state official, including the President of the Republic of Turkey. I am a high school student and have never been involved in a crime before. The reaction I showed due to the trauma I experienced previously was misunderstood, and I did not use profanity. I only reacted out of fear. When the convoy came after the speeding vehicle and an official there intervened, I realized it was the President's convoy. I did not act with the intent to commit a crime.”

SHE SIGNS IN EVERY WEEK

The Istanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace released the 16-year-old child under judicial control, requiring her to sign in at a police station once a week and imposing a travel ban. An indictment was prepared on August 18 for the child, who has been required to sign in at the police station once a week since May.

PROSECUTOR DEMANDS PUNISHMENT

The public prosecutor stated that there was “sufficient evidence to file a public lawsuit” and demanded that the child be punished for insulting the President. Meanwhile, investigations were opened against 972 children last year under Articles 299-301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which include insulting the President.

News Source: 12punto