5 out of every 100 children in the country are trapped in drugs
According to the latest data from TUIK, the rate of children selling and buying drugs has risen to 4.9 percent. Moreover, this rate only includes those who have faced official charges.
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The situation regarding the relationship between drugs and children in Turkey, where international drug cartels have been roaming freely in recent years and Interpol-wanted barons have been captured one after another, has been revealed by the latest research from TUIK.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) has published its report titled "Statistics on Children Brought to or Arriving at Security Units, 2023." According to the report, the number of incidents involving children brought to or arriving at security units in 2023 decreased by 10.7 percent compared to 2022, reaching 537 thousand 583.
In these incidents, 242 thousand 875 children were brought to or arrived at security units as victims, 178 thousand 834 due to being dragged into crime (allegedly committing an act defined as a crime by law), 84 thousand 751 for the purpose of providing information, 15 thousand 716 due to being missing (reported missing and later found), 11 thousand 179 due to allegations of committing a misdemeanor, and 4 thousand 228 for other reasons outside of these categories.
45 PERCENT ARE IN THE 'VICTIM' CATEGORY
Of the children brought to or arriving at security units due to being dragged into crime, 39.8 percent were accused of assault, 20.8 percent of theft, 7.7 percent of violating the passport law, 4.9 percent of using, selling, or buying drugs or stimulants, and 4.0 percent of making threats.
The rate of crimes involving children using, selling, or buying drugs or stimulants was 4.5 percent in 2022. Of the 242 thousand 875 children who arrived at security units as victims, 89.7 percent were victims of crime, and 10.2 percent were children who were victims of incidents requiring follow-up.
Of the 217 thousand 915 children who arrived at or were brought to security units as victims of crime, 61.3 percent were victims of assault, 11.8 percent of sexual crimes, 8.6 percent of crimes against family order, 4.4 percent of threats, and 13.9 percent were victims due to other reasons outside of these categories.