A disturbing humanitarian scandal has erupted in Turkey following revelations that Ukrainian orphans, evacuated to the Mediterranean province of Antalya to escape the ravages of the Russian invasion, were subjected to systemic sexual abuse, violence, and neglect. What began as a high-profile gesture of international solidarity and protection for vulnerable minors has been marred by an official inspection report exposing that the children faced grave harm within the very facilities meant to keep them safe.
According to report published by the Turkish news outlet T24, the full extent of the negligence has been brought to light. The outlet details how an internal investigation by the Ministry of Family and Social Services uncovered that among the evacuated minors, two teenage girls became pregnant while under protection in Antalya. The report indicates that one of the minors underwent an abortion, yet despite these grave findings, no legal punitive action was taken against the perpetrators in Turkey.
The saga began in 2022, shortly after the outbreak of the war, when Turkey agreed to host over a thousand Ukrainian orphans and their caregivers. They were lodged in hotels in the resort city of Antalya, intended to serve as a temporary sanctuary away from the falling bombs in their homeland. However, the Ministry’s inspectorate report paints a picture of a completely unsupervised environment where the Ukrainian caregivers—who accompanied the children to minimize trauma—allegedly became the sources of abuse.
The inspection highlighted that the supposed guardians engaged in misconduct ranging from physical violence to sexual exploitation. The environment in the hotels was described as chaotic, with reports of alcohol consumption and a total lack of monitoring regarding the children's whereabouts and interactions. Despite the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services theoretically having oversight, the operational control was largely left to the foreign staff, creating a vacuum of accountability.
Perhaps the most contentious aspect of the T24 revelation is the aftermath of the discovery. Rather than initiating criminal proceedings within the Turkish judicial system for child sexual abuse, the group involved was reportedly repatriated to Ukraine. The inspection report notes that despite the confirmation of pregnancies and abuse, the scandal was managed quietly. The decision to send the group back rather than prosecute has raised serious questions regarding the legal obligations of the host country to punish crimes committed against minors on its soil, regardless of the nationality of the victims or perpetrators.
Photo: T24