ANKARA - CHP Istanbul Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, prepared a report as part of the World Children's Rights Day. Tanrıkulu drew attention to the fact that within the first 10 months of 2020, at least 28 children were subjected to torture or ill-treatment by security forces.
Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul Deputy prepared the "2020 World Children's Rights Report" for 20 November World Children's Day. According to UNICEF’s data there are 862 million people in extreme poverty in the world, of which 385 million are children. Also, according to the "Immigration Administration General Directorate" of the 4 million refugees registered in Turkey 1.7 million of them are children. According to the 2019 data of the Ministry of National Education, 1 million refugee children were of school age, and 37 percent of the children did not go to school.
The report also highlighted the fact that since 2013, at least 350 children died as a result of workplace homicide.
Details of the report are as follows:
EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC
With the emergence of the disease, the AKP Government, who closed the schools, took away the right to education of hundreds of thousands of children who do not have a computer or internet connection.
RIGHT TO LIFE
During the first ten months of 2020 (January-October) at least 21 children were killed by men. Security forces injured 2 children and killed at least 1 child through the use of weapons. At least 2 children were injured by landmines or unattended bombs and explosives. In 2020, at least 2 refugee / immigrant children died as a result of the attacks of racist groups or individuals. At least 8 refugee children lost their lives on the migration route.
TORTURE
According to the data of organizations working in the field of human rights,with in the first 10 months of 2020, at least 28 children were subjected to torture or ill-treatement while under custody.
CHILD EXPLOITATION
According to the data gathered by TUİK, a total of 59 thousand 284 children, 7 thousand 466 of which are male, 51 thousand 818 of which are girls, were subjected to sexual abuse between 2014 and 2017. According to the IHD Istanbul Branch Children's Rights Commission Report (2019), 440 thousand children under the age of 18 gave birth within the last 16 years. The reported stated that 46 percent of sexual crimes are committed against children.
According to the “Male Violence List”, at least 279 children were sexually abused by men in 2019. The number of children exposed to sexual abuse within the first ten months of 2020 is at least 226.
CHILD LABOUR AND WORKPLACE HOMICIDE
In the first 10 months of 2020, at least 53 children died in the workplace. In 2019, 67 children and young workers lost their lives, 29 of them below 14 years old. According to TUİK’s April 2019 data, 720 thousand children in Turkey are forced to work due to economic reasons.
According to the 2019 data of “Child Labor Force Survey”, 79.7 percent of working children are in the 15-17 age group, 15.9 percent are in the 12-14 age group, and 4.4 percent are in the 5-11 age group. 70.6 percent of working children are boys and 29.4 percent are girls. Statistics show that 65.6 percent of working boys and 66 percent of girls continue their education, which means, 34.4 percent of working boys and 34 percent of girls are unable to continue their education.