Human Rights Institution rules ill-treatment in Ürgüp care center

The Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey (TİHEK) has ruled that a violation of the prohibition against ill-treatment occurred at a private care center for the disabled in Ürgüp.

A woman with a 90 percent disability suffered second-degree burns following a bath at the facility. The complainant, the woman's child, alleged that staff neglected the injury, dismissing it as a ‘simple burn’ and failing to provide medical treatment or hospital referral. The complainant eventually contacted emergency services to secure hospital transport, where the second-degree burns were officially diagnosed.

In addition to the medical neglect, the complainant reported that the resident's room contained construction debris due to ongoing renovations, and that the bathroom and toilet facilities were unusable. The report also highlighted privacy violations caused by renovation workers entering the room. While the care center claimed they followed necessary procedures and addressed physical deficiencies within a 30-day period, TİHEK determined that the institution's responsibility extended beyond merely addressing the issues after the incident occurred.