Principal of distinguished school targets reports on pedophilia

The principal of a distinguished Turkish high school targeted in social media reports on an incident of organized pedophilia involving senior members of a major religious community.

After the incident has been brought to public attention, the principal of Istanbul Cagaloglu Anadolu Highschool said on Twitter, citing a verse of the Quran:

"Heed, believers! When a sinner brings you a news, make sure that it is true so that you won't have remorse when it has unwittingly inflicted harm to a community. (Al-Hujurat:6)"

C.K., the principal, added:

"This verse addresses those who have faith. Those without faith, you may continue to slander and defame!"

Turkish Ministry of National Education announced that an investigation has been launched into the social media posts of the principal, saying:

"An investigation has been launched by the Ministry into a principal's social media posts upon news reports about a girl having been married off and subjected to sexual abuse, which caused public outrage."

It has been recently disclosed through disclosure of an indictment, a statement of a young woman to the prosecution and evidential voice recordings that the victim, H.K.G., was placed by her father, a senior preacher for a religious community, in the hands of a 29-year-old neighbor when she was six years old, and that she was subjected to sexual abuse, and eventually to rape, in the course of her enforced relationship that first took the form of a religious marriage, than a civil one.

About Cagaloglu Anadolu Highschool

The high school established in 1850, is among the oldest non-religious schools of the Ottoman Era.

It is also among prominent Turkish high schools like Galatasaray, Kabatas and Istanbul Higschool, which drew public attention in recent years because of politically motivated appointments of administrative staff and teachers.

Parents of Cagaloglu Anadolu Highschool's students protested in late February the appointment of new principal C.K., asking, "What is the logic behind appointing a new principal to replace the one that everybody were content with?"