Allegations of child abuse at Mufti-run 'nursery': 'Go to the President if you want...'

Allegations that children aged 3-4 were subjected to sexual abuse and physical violence at a Quran course in Avcılar, Istanbul, which presented itself as a "nursery," have caused public outrage. While it is claimed that Mufti office administrators attempted to cover up the scandal, a criminal complaint has also been filed against a police officer who allegedly threatened the mother.

The allegations that children as young as 3 and 4 were subjected to sexual abuse, physical violence, and mistreatment at the Hazreti Ebubekir Mosque Quran Course in Avcılar, Istanbul, have been brought to the judiciary. A psychologist mother, A.A., filed a criminal complaint with the Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, stating that her child had suffered severe trauma at the school. The investigation petition also includes serious accusations against district Mufti office administrators, who are alleged to have remained silent about the scandal and attempted to cover it up.

"Go to the President if you want, nothing will happen to us"

Explaining the horrific process to Büşra İlaslan from Odatv, the psychologist mother A.A. stated that she enrolled her 4-year-old child after being told that the course was affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and provided education based on the Diyanet curriculum. The situation came to light after her child returned home with nail marks and redness on their body after some time. According to the mother, the young child said that the teacher recorded the abuse they were subjected to with a mobile phone and expressed the horror they experienced with these words:

"They will throw us to the dogs, mom, don't tell anyone..."

The mother, who stated that she received the response "These are games, the children enjoy them very much" from the school principal and teacher when she went to ask about the situation, claimed that when she said she would file a complaint, she was threatened with the words, "Go to the President if you want, nothing will happen to us."

''ACCUSATION OF 'CONCEALING A CRIME' AGAINST MUFTI ADMINISTRATORS''

In the petition prepared after the scandal was brought to the judiciary, it was emphasized that the suspect teacher Z.Ç. did not fulfill her duty of supervision. It was alleged that the Avcılar District Deputy Mufti and the Avcılar District Mufti, to whom the incident was reported, tried to conceal the crime by saying "Don't make a big deal out of it" instead of reporting the suspicions of sexual abuse and violence to judicial authorities. Mother A.A. also applied to the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and the Ministry of Family and Social Services via CİMER to initiate an administrative investigation.

''SUSPEND THE EDUCATION''

While the date the crime was committed was recorded in judicial records as "December 2025 and before," lawyers requested that the camera recordings at the institution be secured immediately against the possibility of evidence being tampered with. Furthermore, in order to prevent other children from suffering irreparable harm, it was requested that the suspect teacher and principal be immediately suspended from duty and that "education" at the institution be suspended until the investigation is completed.

''THREAT' LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE OFFICER WHO WANTED TO DISSUADE HER FROM COMPLAINING''

While the investigation was ongoing, a second crisis erupted at the courthouse. The psychologist mother A.A. also filed a criminal complaint against a police officer who called her on the phone, claimed to know the suspect teacher, and tried to dissuade her from her complaint. The mother claimed that the officer in question insulted her and made the following threats:

"You have put your child in a glass bubble, you are lying. If you do not withdraw your complaint, your child could be taken away from you."