Ankara court sentences parents to 30 years for child abuse

An Ankara 12th High Criminal Court has sentenced a mother and father to 30 years in prison each for the sexual abuse of their daughter. The court applied no discretionary reductions, treating the mother as a joint perpetrator for her role in facilitating the abuse.

The case came to light after a 12th-grade student reported being abused by her father for three years to her school guidance counselor. The victim testified that her father used psychological pressure and forced her to take birth control pills, while her mother assisted in the abuse.

Following the report, the child was placed under state protection. During the investigation, birth control pills were discovered at the family residence. While the father denied the allegations, the mother initially confirmed the victim's account to authorities before changing her testimony during the trial.