A bill that aiming to release men who have been sentenced for committing statutory rape will be introduced in Turkey in matter of days. The bill introduces that a man who rapes a girl can escape punishment if he marries the child. However, as the ruling government is currently discrediting numerous human rigths, unfortunately it is not suprising that they are also stepping back from long debated gains in women’s rights as well.
The bill encourages child abuse and marriages based upon abusive conduct with its highly conservative nature.
We condemn “marry your rapist bill” in Turkey that can free pedophiles who have raped girls if the perpetrator marries the child. The law is terrible in its nature and will punish the children legalizing rape.
Turkey is a country where one third of women suffer from sexual or physical violence as confimed by numerous studies. Also, the country has alarming number of femicide rates – according to We will Stop Femicide Platform 474 women were killed only in 2019. The bill’s repugnant nature to hide such human rights abuses against women is apparent.
We claim that the law will lead even more violence and sexual exploitation of women and children in Turkey.
We call all women’s rights organizations and feminist governments to protest and fight against the bill to stop it from approval in Turkey.