Istanbul Bar Association on the İsmailağa 'abuse case': We are following the case!

The sentences handed down to the defendants in the case concerning the sexual abuse of H.K.G., the 6-year-old daughter of Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel, founder of the Hiranur Foundation affiliated with the İsmailağa Community, who was married off to 29-year-old follower Kadir İstekli via a religious ceremony, were overturned by the appellate court on the grounds that they were insufficient. The Istanbul Bar Association has issued a statement regarding the hearing to be held tomorrow.

12punto 05 May 2024

In the case concerning the sexual abuse of H.K.G., the daughter of Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel, founder of the Hiranur Foundation, who was married off to 29-year-old follower Kadir İstekli via a religious ceremony when she was just 6 years old, the Istanbul Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court sentenced the detained defendant Kadir İstekli to 30 years, father Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel to 20 years, and mother Fatma Gümüşel to 16 years and 8 months in prison on October 23, 2023.

Following the verdict, the lawyer for the victim H.K.G., the lawyers for the defendants, the lawyer for the Ministry of Family and Social Services, and the public prosecutor appealed the case.

APPELLATE COURT: SENTENCES SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR TWO SEPARATE CRIMES

Evaluating the local court's decision, the 20th Criminal Chamber of the Regional Court of Justice overturned the ruling, stating that the sentences given to the defendants should be increased.

In its decision, the Appellate Court assessed that while defendant Kadir İstekli should have been sentenced for two separate crimes—'Qualified sexual abuse of a child' for the years 2004-2013 and 'Qualified sexual assault against a spouse' for the year 2020—he was only punished for a single crime. It also stated that the sentences for the mother and father should have been increased by law due to their status as parents. The appellate court sent the file back to the Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court for a retrial.

STATEMENT FROM THE ISTANBUL BAR ASSOCIATION

The Istanbul Bar Association issued a statement regarding the hearing to be held tomorrow. The Bar Association stated that they would follow the hearing as observers with the note, "We are following the H.K.G. case."

The Bar Association's post is as follows:

"The decision rendered in the 'Qualified Sexual Abuse of a Child' case of H.K.G., who was subjected to abuse starting from the age of 6, heard at the Istanbul Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court, was overturned by the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice following an appellate review on the grounds that the defendants were given insufficient sentences. Following the reversal decision, the new hearing date for the case will be 06.05.2024 at 10:00 AM at the Istanbul Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court. We share with the public that we will continue to attend the hearings, which are held in closed (secret) session, as observers, and that we will follow the case until the defendants receive the harshest possible sentences."