Turkey passes amendments to Child Protection Law
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) has passed a bill amending the Child Protection Law and several related statutes. The new legislation introduces significant changes to the juvenile justice system, focusing on criminal responsibility, sentencing, and protective measures.
Key amendments include the rebranding of the term "child driven to crime" to "child in the judicial process." For children aged 15 to 18, sentencing for serious offenses has been restructured; crimes requiring aggravated life imprisonment may now result in 19 to 27 years of prison, while life imprisonment may result in 15 to 18 years. The law also allows judges to bypass age-based sentence reductions in specific cases of intentional homicide or severe injury.
For children aged 12 to 15, criminal liability depends on the individual's capacity to understand the legal consequences of their actions and direct their behavior. If this capacity is absent, security measures will be applied instead of criminal penalties.
Additionally, the law imposes new responsibilities on adults, including a provision that mandates one to three years of imprisonment for individuals who fail to store firearms safely, resulting in a child obtaining the weapon. The Ministry of Family and Social Services will coordinate protective and supportive measures, with enhanced cooperation between various state institutions.
Entities: Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş · Ministry of Family and Social Services · Ministry of National Education · Pervin Buldan · Turkey · Turkish Grand National Assembly
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 7 SOURCES] Individuals who fail to store firearms with due care, leading to a child obtaining the weapon, face one to three years in prison if the resulting crime is not severe. (The law)
- [● 7 SOURCES] For children aged 15 to 18, crimes requiring aggravated life imprisonment can result in 19 to 27 years of prison. (The law)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Ministry of Family and Social Services will coordinate protective and supportive measures at the central level. (The law)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The age threshold for the application of recidivism provisions has been lowered from 18 to 15. (The law)
- [● 3 SOURCES] For children aged 12 to 15, judicial decisions will depend on whether the child understands the legal meaning of their actions and can direct their behavior. (The law)
- [● 11 SOURCES] The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) has passed a bill to amend the Child Protection Law and other related statutes. (The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM))
- [● 8 SOURCES] The legal term 'child driven to crime' is replaced with 'child in the judicial process'. (The law)