Beaten by peers and forced to apologize: Peer bullies arrested
In Ankara, a group of high school girls filmed themselves slapping a peer in a park and forced her to apologize to people they named. Following the spread of the footage on social media, an investigation was launched, and it was announced that 4 children involved in the crime have been arrested.
İHA
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The incident took place in a park in the Keçiören district. A group of girls, identified as students at Etlik Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, subjected one of their schoolmates to violence.
The girls in the group pulled the other girl's hair and slapped her. The group tried to force the girl, whom they had made kneel on the ground, to apologize. The helpless student was forced to apologize to the individuals whose names were called out.
The group pursued the victimized student again as she tried to leave the scene.
The group of girls knocked the student to the ground again and continued to assault her on the sidewalk. The girls threatened their peer not to report them. A passerby rescued the student, who was subjected to physical and psychological violence. The footage was quickly shared by other students.
STATEMENT FROM THE ANKARA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
The Ankara Governor's Office announced that a judicial and administrative investigation has been launched regarding the bullying footage. The statement included the following: "A judicial and administrative investigation and inquiry have been initiated regarding the incident involving peer bullying against a female student by a group of female students in a park in our Keçiören district, which was published on some social media platforms under headlines such as 'High school peer horror in Ankara' and similar. The 5 suspect students involved in the incident were identified and apprehended, and in accordance with the instructions of the Public Prosecutor's Office, their statements were taken in due form and they were referred to judicial authorities. Additionally, a 10-day school suspension measure has been applied to 2 students within the scope of Article 175 of the Secondary Education Institutions Regulation, and administrative proceedings and investigations are ongoing regarding all students involved in the incident."
THEY WERE ARRESTED
In a statement regarding the matter, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said, "Following reports reflected in the media on Friday, April 11, that a high school girl was beaten by other girls and recorded on video, an investigation was launched ex officio. Within the scope of this investigation, the statement of the victim, S. N. H., born in 2010 and a 9th-grade student at a high school in Ankara, was taken. T. N. S. (born 2011), N. K. (born 2011), F. Ü. (born 2011), and E. N. T. (born 2010), who were identified from the statements and video content, were apprehended at their residences in the Keçiören district by officers from the Ankara Provincial Police Department's Juvenile Branch and taken into custody.
The children involved in the crime, whose statements were taken by the Public Prosecutor, were referred to the Ankara Duty Criminal Court of Peace with a request for their arrest. Following their interrogation by the court, the children involved in the crime, T.N.S., N.K., F.Ü., and E.N.T., were arrested for the crime of 'Depriving a child of liberty by using force and threats together by more than one person,' as regulated in Article 109/2, 3.b-f of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
A judicial control decision was issued by the Court for Y.A.C. and K.Ü., who were not in the video recording but were considered to be potentially involved in the incident.
S.K., who was understood to be under the age of 12, was identified and handed over to her family. Our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is continuing the investigation with diligence."