A new report published by the UN Population Fund and the Population Association examines another aspect of child abuse -- incest -- which had hitherto remained largely undocumented in this country. Experts had been ringing alarm bells for some time, but the taboo surrounding the molestation of children by their own relatives made it particularly hard to bring the issue into the open.The study, the first of its kind, is not a quantitative one. It is based on interviews with psychologists, judges, police officers, forensic medical experts and social workers working for institutions that come into contact with incest victims.
Girls and boys of all ages -- although girls are more frequent targets -- and all social classes can be the victims of acts of molestation. While incest is more likely to be revealed when it takes place in low income families, for instance when a pregnancy occurs, it cuts across social classes and mainly takes place in nuclear families, the report suggests.
Incest is not a problem specific to Turkey. Children are sexually abused by relatives -- fathers, primarily, but also grandfathers, elder siblings or uncles -- everywhere, and it is always a thorny societal problem to tackle because it takes place in the privacy of the family home. While it is not possible to eradicate it entirely, some countries have managed to put in place an infrastructure that helps identify problems early on, mitigate the impact of abuse and protect its victims.
In Turkey, the patriarchal nature of society makes it particularly hard for victims to speak out. Mothers have an important role to play in identifying abuse in the first place, but the report points out, even when they do, they are not always in a position to act: They may be economically dependent on the abusers, afraid of them if they themselves face domestic violence or ashamed of their own perceived “failure” to protect their children.
Families sometimes choose to conceal incidents to protect their honor. Victims often feel a deep sense of guilt and shame and are sometimes threatened by their aggressors. As the report highlights, abuse is even more difficult to spot in settings where the children are considered family property rather than individuals and “raised with the concept of unconditional respect and obedience towards elders.”
One important point mentioned by the experts who were interviewed is that most victims, directly or indirectly, give clues about their experiences. Family members are sometimes reluctant to believe the victim unless they have witnessed the abuse themselves. Older siblings may keep silent for years, but speak out to protect a younger sister or brother when they, in turn, become the abuser's target.
Because child molestation tends to start when the victims are very young, school is an environment where the abuse can sometimes be revealed. Teachers may notice a decline in the student's performance or pick up hints of serious problems at home. But identifying the signals and taking the right action requires skills, training as well as institutional guidelines, which have yet to be developed.
Victims of child abuse -- as we have seen with the Üzmez case -- are sometimes doubly victimized by a system that requires endless tests and testimonies. In fact, the law allows for the victims' statements to be videotaped so they need not be repeated. Collecting material and mental evidence of incest is often difficult. Special multi-disciplinary centers in health institutions could bring together the expertise of forensic specialists, mental health experts and pediatricians, the report suggests.
With a proper framework and specially trained counselors, Turkey could improve its response to child abuse and incest. This report is just a first step, but it is an important one that lifts the veil on an issue so sensitive that even the penal code refrains from defining it separately.
