Thursday, January 18, 2018

Child pregnancies reignite sexual abuse debate in Turkey - BBC News

Child pregnancies reignite sexual abuse debate in Turkey
By George Pierpoint, BBC UGC and Social News Dilay Yalcin, BBC Monitoring

18 January 2018

News reports of a spate of underage pregnancies in Turkey have sparked anger online.

One hundred and fifteen girls, including 39 from Syria, have been treated at a single hospital in Istanbul in less than five months.

News website Hurriyet Daily reported 38 girls became pregnant before the age of 15, and 77 before turning 18.

The age of consent is 18 in Turkey and all cases of pregnancy under the age of 15 are classified as child abuse.

More:Child pregnancies reignite sexual abuse debate in Turkey - BBC News