Statement on the “Child Protection Law” from AK Party Istanbul Deputy Şengül Karslı: “Organizations Will Not Be Allowed to Exploit Sentence Reductions”
The “Draft Law on Amending the Child Protection Law and Certain Other Laws,” which is being debated in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Justice Commission and foresees fundamental changes in the child justice system, aims to prevent organized crime groups from using children as “tools for crime.”
AK Party Istanbul Deputy and TBMM Justice Commission Member Şengül Karslı, in her speech during the commission meetings, stated that a strong legal response has been developed against the changing crime profile, sharing the details and fundamental philosophy of the draft law with the public.
“Not Every Child Will Be Tried Like an Adult; Discretionary Power for Judges is Coming”
Karslı stated that the regulation does not substitute punishment for social policies but rather strengthens protection and rehabilitation measures, clarifying the public debate. Emphasizing that they aim to prevent organizations that use children as pawns in murder and severe violence crimes from exploiting existing reductions, Karslı noted the following:
“Not every child will automatically be punished like an adult. Only for the 15–18 age group, a judge is granted discretionary power, taking into account the severity of the act, the intensity of intent, and the perpetrator's past behavior. The best interest of the child is, of course, important; however, the right to life of victimized children, families' expectation of justice, and public safety cannot be excluded from child law.”
“Multi-Dimensional Shield” Against Crime Engineering
Karslı pointed out that the age of involvement in crime is decreasing globally and the nature of crime is changing, stating that children are being drawn into this dark process by social, economic, and environmental risks.
Underlining that organized crime groups and drug traffickers are openly turning the protection mechanisms stemming from children's legal status into an area of exploitation, Karslı stated, “This poisonous mind that puts guns and knives into the hands of children takes refuge in the existing loopholes in the criminal justice system. This situation creates a perception of impunity in society, damaging faith in justice. It is not possible for our legal system to remain indifferent to this new crime engineering targeting our neighborhoods, schools, and children.”
Karslı stated that the new draft law will build a multi-dimensional shield that encompasses the child from before the moment they come into contact with crime, throughout the judicial process, and after the execution of sentences.
“The Measure of Success is Not the Severity of Punishment, But Reintegrating Them into Society”
Karslı reminded that severe acts of violence, armed assaults, and peer bullying resulting in death, especially recently carried out by children, have brought the gravity of the issue to its peak, stating that the regulation prioritizes the will to reintegrate children into society while establishing public safety.
Karslı concluded her remarks with the following statements:
“In the child justice system, the measure of success is not the severity of the punishment given, but how much the child's risk of re-offending is reduced. These two principles cannot be alternatives to each other; on the contrary, they complement each other. The definition of ‘child in the judicial process’ included in the proposal is also the clearest summary of our perspective on humanity, as it is an approach that does not label a child as guilty before the trial is over.”