Sexual abuse of children in the Turkish Criminal Law

One of the most basic rights of people is their physical and sexual immunity. This right is regulated by states at the constitutional level. In order to protect this right especially for children and to punish attacks against this right with a sanction, offenses are defined in criminal laws. The offense of child sexual abuse is one of these definitions. The fair sanctioning of this offense, the protection of children's bodies from sexual acts can be ensured by a justice mechanism sensitive to all kinds of dangers to their development. Up-to-date official data published annually by the Ministry of Justice show that the rate of sexual abuse offense among the offenses committed tends to increase. If the cases of sexual abuse that are not reported to the judicial authorities are added to this, it will be seen that the real number is much higher. Regulations were made in the text of the article regulating the offense of sexual abuse of children with two different laws, the sexual abuse offense was classified and its sanction was increased with these regulations. It is stated that deterrence cannot be achieved by increasing the prison sentences prescribed in the doctrine. Appropriate and effective penalties should be considered in order to provide deterrence in punishment. It is necessary to put forward new arguments such as changing the offense and penal policy pursued within the scope of this offense and sterilization of the perpetrator.