Man in Adana employed at children's hospital despite being on trial for molesting his own children

Burcu Özkaya Günaydın / DUVAR

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A man currently on trial in the southern city of Adana for molesting his two young children is still employed at the city's women and children's hospital as he awaits further hearings.

The charges against M.A.K. were initially dismissed but following the objection of the children's mother, who applied to the Adana Women's Platform and complained to the Presidency's Communication Directorate, a decision was made to resume the trial.

The mother of the children, who are four and five years old, said she was subjected to six years of domestic abuse from M.A.K. prior to their divorce in 2018. The mother received custody of the children with M.A.K. being granted specific time with them. The children started behaving differently and saying they did not want to go to their father's house. Eventually, one of them told a staff member at their daycare, who then informed the mother, who wasn't aware that the children were being abused until May of this year.

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The children have been psychologically scarred from the abuse and are on medication, according to their mother.

“Despite the fact that everything that happened is out in the open, their father is still saying he didn't do anything and is claiming that I joined forces with the daycare staff in order to defame him and take full custody of the children,” the mother said.

“I went to the hospital where he works and spoke with the head physician. They said that I made up everything that has happened in my head. If someone did this to their own children, what wouldn't they do to someone else's child?”

Lawyer Sevil Aracı of the Adana Women's Platform said that her organization will not let the matter go.

“We are shocked that he is still being tried without being arrested given that everything is clear based on the children's testimony. Furthermore, the father is still working at a children's hospital run by the state. This is at least as dire as the event itself,” Aracı said.