Breaking News: Married off at age 6: Verdict in H.K.G. sexual abuse case

The final hearing of the case regarding the sexual abuse of H.K.G., who was subjected to a "religious marriage" (imam nikahı) at the age of 6 to Kadir İstekli, a member of the sect, by her father Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel, the founder of the Hiranur Foundation affiliated with the İsmailağa Community, was held at the Istanbul Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court.

In the verdict hearing of the H.K.G. case held at the Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court on October 23, 2023, the detained defendant Kadir İstekli had been sentenced to 30 years, father Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel to 20 years, and mother Fatıma Gümüşel to 16 years and 8 months in prison.

The 20th Criminal Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice overturned the decision, stating that the sentences given to the defendants should be increased. The court evaluated that while two separate sentences should have been given to the defendant Kadir İstekli for the crimes of 'Qualified sexual abuse of a child' for the years 2004-2013 and 'Qualified sexual assault against a spouse' for the year 2020, he was punished for a single crime. Regarding the defendant mother and father Gümüşel, it noted that an increase should have been applied according to the law due to their status as parents.

COURT HAS REACHED ITS VERDICT

Father Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel and the husband by religious marriage, Kadir İstekli, connected to today's final hearing via SEGBİS (Audio and Video Information System) from the prisons where they are being held.

Mother Fatıma Gümüşel, who has an outstanding arrest warrant, did not attend the hearing held at the Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court. Announcing its verdict, the court panel decided to continue the arrest warrant for the fugitive mother Fatıma Gümüşel.

The court sentenced the detained defendant Kadir İstekli to a total of 36 years in prison, consisting of 21 years for the crime of "chain-offense qualified sexual abuse of a child" and 15 years for the crime of "qualified sexual assault," and sentenced the detained defendant father Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel to 18 years and 9 months in prison for the crime of "chain-offense qualified sexual abuse of a child."

News Source: 12punto