Turkey eyes ‘increased punishment’ for child abusers

By Yunus Okur

ERZURUM, Turkey

A legislation package targeting child abuse will be submitted to parliament within the next 10 days, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag said on Saturday.

“Our several ministries including Justice Ministry and Ministry of Family and Social Policies have been working on it. In the shortest time, within ten days, we will submit the package, including necessary legal amendments, to the parliament,” Recep Akdag told reporters in the eastern Erzurum province.

“We will increase the punishments,” he said, and added that chemical castration would be “a small part of the measures” to be taken..

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also warned that child abuse cases, which recently saw an apparent spike, could “lead to the collapse of our society".

"It is our responsibility to safeguard the innocent -- who are part of our lives -- from all kinds of threats and danger in addition to raising them and ensuring their survival," he said.

By Yunus Okur

ERZURUM, Turkey

A legislation package targeting child abuse will be submitted to parliament within the next 10 days, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag said on Saturday.

“We will increase the punishments,” he said, and added that chemical castration would be “a small part of the measures” to be taken..

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also warned that child abuse cases, which recently saw an apparent spike, could “lead to the collapse of our society".

"It is our responsibility to safeguard the innocent -- who are part of our lives -- from all kinds of threats and danger in addition to raising them and ensuring their survival," he said.