The law is meant to protect children and adolescents from being coerced by an older individual into having sex, but also applies to sexual activity between teens of similar ages. The legal "age of consent" for sex can range from 14 to 18 years, depending on country or even different regions of the same country. The law governing sex with underage minors, or "statutory rape," is taken seriously in Turkey and other countries. In Turkey as in Germany, any foreigner charged with a crime must remain in detention until cleared of the charges, said Rumpf, who does not believe that Marco will be easily acquitted. The prosecutors had no choice but to arrest Marco," said Christian Rumpf, an attorney in Stuttgart who is an expert on Turkish law. "The mother of the girl charged a young man with child abuse. The case has thrust Turkey's judicial system in the spotlight and reinforced the German perception that the predominantly Muslim country is backward in its sexual attitudes, and therefore does not belong in the European Union.īut legal experts say that Turkey has made tremendous strides in bringing its laws in line with EU norms, and the case would have been handled no differently in Germany, England or the US. #JUDICIAL CONSENT SEX TRIAL#Statutory rape laws Marco is awaiting trial in an Antalya prison Image: picture-alliance/ dpa Aycan is seeking the maximum conviction, a sentence of fifteen years, although that penalty would be reduced by a third since Marco is also a minor. Sexual contact without the use of force is criminal under Turkish law when one of the individuals involved is under 15. He raped a 13-year-old girl," said Aycan, who added that Charlotte's age was known to the German youth. "Charlotte refused to have sex with Marco, so I can use the word rape. Charlotte screamed, alerting other teenagers in the room, and Marco fled. She asked Marco to leave, but he refused and proceeded to force himself on her. But there was sexual penetration, insisted Charlotte's lawyer Ömer Aycan, who told his client's side of the story in a telephone interview with DW-WORLD.DE from Antalya.Ĭharlotte has claimed that she was asleep in the double room when Marco and another boy knocked on the door after midnight. 8, a gynecologist who had examined Charlotte said that there was no evidence of assault and the girl was still a virgin. No sexual intercourse took place, he has said. Marco claims the two only kissed and engaged in "heavy petting," consensually. Gül said that he could not interfere with Turkey's independent judiciary. Chancellor Angela Merkel made public assurances that she would help Marco and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke privately to his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gül, who is likely to be elected Turkey's next president at the end of this month. German politicians have intervened on Marco's behalf at the highest levels. Steinmeier (left) talked to Turkey's Gül about Marco Image: AP Much has been made of Marco's psychological state and the decrepit conditions of the detention cell, which he has been sharing with 30 other inmates for the past four months. Turkey has also been lambasted by the tabloids, commentators and politicians for its treatment of a juvenile. Marco claims Charlotte told him she was fifteen and what has emerged in the German media is a portrait of a manipulative 13-year-old deceiving a youth four years her senior. The mother of the Manchester girl had accused Marco of sexually abusing her daughter after he had been invited up to the girl's hotel room. Turkish police officers arrested him for having sex with a 13-year-old Briton, known in German media as Charlotte M. in German media reports, had spent the Easter break with his parents at a five-star hotel resort in Side.īut on April 12, Marco's holiday turned into a nightmare. A 17-year-old high school student from the small northern German town of Ülzen, identified as Marco W. Turkey's Antalya coast is enormously popular among German and British tourists for its pristine beaches, sporting activities and nightlife.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |