TURKEY, — Sixty Kurdish children who had been subjected to physical and sexual abuse in Pozanti Prison were transferred to Sincan Juvenile Closed prison in Ankara on Tuesday, ANF reports.
It has been reported that the remaining young inmates will be transferred during the week. A total of 199 minors are to be transferred, hundreds of kilometres from their families making it almost impossible for them to go and visit their children.
The transfer move has been criticized by families as well as by rights associations, lawyers and psychologists. Indeed after suffering such abuses the children should be guaranteed the best environment although clearly they remain behind bars which make it impossible to speak of ‘suitable’ environment.
Nevertheless the children should at least have been granted visits with their relatives in order to cope with the trauma. To move them hundreds of kilometres away from their families only add to their suffering.
It should be noted that the number of Kurdish jailed children is reported from 2,300 to 3000. They had been arrested for taking part in pro-Kurdish demonstration and throwing stones at Turkish police.