Scandals in religious sects never end: Another child abuse report! 'If you tell, the course will close and you will commit a sin' they were told

The İsmailağa Association, which frequently makes headlines due to child abuse cases, is once again in the spotlight for child abuse. According to a report by İsmail Arı from Birgün, the latest abuse incident took place in Bursa.

In the abuse case that occurred in April and May 2024, 5 children aged between 10 and 12 were repeatedly sexually abused by another 16-year-old child, whom they called their 'older brother,' staying at the same Quran course.

The summary of proceedings (fezleke) prepared by the Bursa Police Department and sent to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has emerged. Officials from the Ministry of Family and Social Services visited a family receiving financial and social support on July 18, 2024.

During this visit, one of the abused children told the ministry officials what they had been through. The reported abuse case was then notified to the prosecutor's office and the police by the authorities.

The 12-year-old male victim described what he went through in his statement as part of the investigation:

“I will start 8th grade this year. I was at the Quran course three or four months ago. In the morning, Fehim the teacher assigned me to ensure no one entered the guest house. After I performed my ablution and returned, I checked to see if anyone had entered the guest house. When I went inside, they had placed the bed bases in front of the door so no one could enter. Inside, there was a child named A. and six other children..."

He stated that the 16-year-old child named A. abused 6 children and that he himself was also subjected to abuse by the child named A.

The 11-year-old child who gave a statement noted that the place they were staying was a madrasa and that he was subjected to abuse. Another 11-year-old child said that he was first subjected to abuse by the child named A. in the mosque of the madrasa and that he could not escape.

"IF YOU TELL THE TEACHER, I WILL BEAT YOU"

One of the children who was abused said that the child named A. was physically imposing and that everyone was afraid of him:

“A. was physically imposing, his hand was heavy. He was threatening me by saying, 'I know your house, I will shoot you, I will beat you.' Everyone was afraid of him. He would say, 'If you tell the teacher what I did, I will beat you all.'"

"THE TEACHERS GATHERED US AT NIGHT"

The 10-year-old victim said in his statement that after being subjected to abuse, he told his mother, and that 5 others told the teachers named Fehim and Faruk at the course:

"After seeing these events, I told my mother. Later, I heard that five more people told these events to the teachers named Fehim and Faruk who work at the course... Then at night, teachers Fehim and Faruk gathered us at the course. They told us not to tell anyone what we saw, that if we told, the course would be closed, hundreds of people studying there would be victimized, and we would be committing a sin against them..."

STATEMENTS FROM SECT MEMBERS ALSO EMERGED

As part of the investigation, Muhammed Kır, a sect member who has been working as a volunteer at the course for 10 years, confessed that they intentionally lied to the families:

“A student whose name we don't remember reported to the officials at our institution that there were obscene behaviors among the mentioned children. When we learned this, we met with the children... Without going into too much detail, we told the students' families that the child was reluctant to learn and that it would be better to take them out of the course. They took the children out of the course..."

SOME FAMILIES DID NOT FILE A COMPLAINT

It was learned that some families did not file a complaint against the child who abused their children as part of the investigation.

THE ABUSING CHILD: IT WAS A JOKE

The 16-year-old A., who gave a statement as part of the investigation, confirmed the abuse but said that it was 'meant as a joke.' The child named A. was arrested on September 20, 2024, and sent to a juvenile detention center.

SECT MEMBERS ARE NOT BEING TRIED

In the ongoing case at the Bursa Juvenile High Criminal Court, the sect members who covered up the abuse were heard as "witnesses." The sect members are not being tried for covering up the abuse scandal.

News Source: 12punto