Child offender warning: 'Penalty increases are not enough, get to the root of the problem'

Published: August 8, 2025, 10:20 AM Updated: August 8, 2025, 10:23 AM

In Turkey, the concept of " children pushed into crime" (CDC) is defined in the Child Protection Law. Accordingly, individuals under the age of 18 who are being investigated or prosecuted, or who are subject to security measures, for allegedly committing an act defined as a crime by law are considered within this scope. The aim is to ensure that children who lack the mature thinking and decision-making capacity of adults are subject to special consideration in legal processes.

Following the murder of Ahmet Minguzi by his peers in Kadıköy, Istanbul, on January 24, 2025, the family demanded that the age of criminal responsibility be lowered. This demand reignited the debate about whether children should be tried as adults. However, attorney Zühre Genişel emphasizes that perceiving children as adults is legally and socially problematic.

According to the Turkish Penal Code, age groups are 12-15, 15-18, and 18+. Sentences are reduced for those aged 12-15, while sentences are different for those aged 15-18. The new model under discussion is the restructuring of age ranges. However, experts believe this change alone will not be a solution.

Attorney Zühre Genişel, President of the Homeland Party's Pioneer Women's Law Office, says, "Crime cannot be prevented simply by increasing penalties." Emphasizing that the most important thing is to eliminate the causes of crime, Genişel highlights factors such as economic problems, domestic violence, the decay of the value system, and the influence of social media. Therefore, she argues that the Ministries of National Education, Family, the Interior, and Health should develop joint policies.

The social investigation reports required for every HSSE case are often insufficiently prepared. This prevents accurate analysis of why the child turned to crime and the risk of reoffending.