Verdict day in the case of H.K.G., who was married off at age 6

The case regarding the sexual abuse of H.K.G., the daughter of Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel, founder of the Hiranur Foundation affiliated with the İsmailağa Community, who was subjected to sexual abuse after being "married off" via an imam marriage to sect member Kadir İstekli at the age of 6, has been the subject of discussion for days.

Saadet Özkan, President of the Saadet Teacher Association for the Struggle Against Child Abuse, who has followed the case from the very beginning, issued a call for the hearing on her social media account. 

Özkan stated the following in her post: 

"We were present at every session of the H.K.G. case at the Istanbul Anadolu Courthouse. They did not let a 6-year-old child have a childhood. The regional court of justice said to increase the sentence. Tomorrow will be the verdict hearing. We will be at the courthouse at 10:00 AM, we will witness the verdict. Justice must be pursued to the end. Children must be empowered. Once the case is over, the confidentiality order will be lifted."

Her celse İstanbul Anadolu Adliyesinde H.K.G. davasında hazır bulunduk.
6 yaşında bir çocuğa çocukluk yaşatmadılar. Bölge adliye mahkemesi cezayı arttır dedi.
Yarın karar duruşması olacak.
Saat 10:00 da adliyede olacağız, karara tanık olacağız.
Adalet sonuna kadar takip… pic.twitter.com/RQp5zbvusZ

— Saadet Özkan (@SaadetOzkanEfe) September 22, 2024

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

In the verdict hearing of the case of H.K.G., who was "married off" at age 6, held at the Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court on October 23, 2023, the defendant Kadir İstekli, to whom the child was 'married', was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while father Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel was sentenced to 20 years and mother Fatıma Gümüşel to 16 years and 8 months.

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 separate sentences should have been given to the defendant Kadir İstekli for 'qualified sexual abuse of a child' for the years 2004-2013 and for 'qualified sexual assault against a spouse' for the year 2020, he was punished for a single crime. For the defendant parents, the Gümüşels, the court ruled that an increase should have been applied according to the law due to their status as parents.

News Source: 12punto