Testimony of father of 13-year-old who died of AIDS revealed

13-year-old A.E.K., who lived in the Milas district of Muğla and was hospitalized on suspicion of osteoporosis, only to be diagnosed with AIDS, passed away on November 11 at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital.

The death of the 13-year-old child due to AIDS became a major topic in Turkey. It was alleged that the disease was not transmitted from the mother, but through sexual abuse.

According to a report by Sabah, it was stated that A.E.K., who was an 8th-grade student, had a younger brother named D.K. It was reported that only the father, K.K., who works in tourism, is HIV positive, while the mother and D.K. are negative.

HE STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 17 DAYS

After 13-year-old A.E.K. suddenly lost 8-9 kilograms in August, his family applied to Tepecik Training and Research Hospital. A.E.K., who was treated for malnutrition and weakness, was discharged from the hospital 17 days later.

However, as A.E.K.'s symptoms persisted, his family applied to the Ege University Faculty of Medicine hospital on September 28, 2024. The child was admitted to the General Pediatrics Department, where tests revealed he was HIV positive. Following this, the young child was transferred to the infectious diseases ward.

FATHER LEARNED OF HIS ILLNESS DURING A BLOOD DONATION IN FEBRUARY

It was determined last February that A.E.K.'s father, K.K., was HIV positive. Father K.K. learned of his illness during a blood donation. Since the child and the father tested positive, while the mother and the other sibling tested negative, support was requested from forensic social pediatrics and child psychiatry regarding the possibility of sexual abuse.

PSYCHIATRIST FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSE

In the investigation launched over the suspicion of sexual abuse, a child psychiatrist interviewed both A.E.K. and his father, K.K. In the evaluation made by the child psychiatrist on October 8, 2024, it was stated, "Abuse was questioned in detail during the interviews with the father and the child, but could not be described."

FATHER'S TESTIMONY

It was learned that the father, K.K., who works in tourism, said in his testimony, "We took all precautions within the home. I do not know how it was transmitted." Due to the investigation launched into the incident, an autopsy was performed on A.E.K. on November 11.

NO SEXUAL ABUSE IN FORENSIC MEDICINE REPORT

The İzmir Council of Forensic Medicine conducted an examination while the young child was still alive as a routine procedure within the scope of the investigation after A.E.K., who died of AIDS, was diagnosed as HIV positive. No evidence of sexual abuse was found in the examination conducted by the Council of Forensic Medicine officials. The report prepared in this manner was added to the investigation file.