A verdict has been reached in the trial of Ayhan Şengüler, identified as an administrator of the Quran Service Foundation (Kuran’a Hizmet Vakfı), who was being tried on charges of "chain-linked qualified sexual abuse of a child" against 8-year-old Hifa İkra Şengüler. At the hearing held at the İstanbul Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court, the court panel issued an acquittal for Şengüler.
It was reported that the court rejected the request for the trial to be held in public. It was also stated that the request by the plaintiffs' attorneys for time to respond to the prosecutor's opinion and their request for the recusal of the judge were not accepted. The lawyers, reacting to the decision, left the courtroom.
The lifeless bodies of Fatma Nur Çelik and her daughter Hifa İkra Şengüler were found on the coast of Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, at the beginning of March. It was known that Çelik had been engaged in a long legal battle, alleging that she had been abused by Şengüler as a child and forced into marriage, and that she had held vigils in front of the courthouse to make her voice heard.
The funerals of the mother and daughter were later carried on the shoulders of women; the incident brought debates regarding child abuse allegations, protection mechanisms, and the judicial process back to the agenda.
Following the verdict, the Children and Women First Association (Önce Çocuklar ve Kadınlar Derneği) issued a statement reacting to the acquittal. The association stated, "We have a promise to Fatma Nur and Hifa. We do not accept this unjust decision. Our struggle will continue until true justice is served."
News Source: 12punto
