A Turkish woman who had been publicly calling for justice over the alleged sexual abuse of her daughter was found dead with the child in the Marmara Sea near the shore in İstanbul on Monday, sparking renewed criticism of Turkey’s child and women protection mechanisms.
According to Turkish media reports, Fatmanur Çelik, 30, had accused her husband, Ayhan Şengüler, of abusing her when she was a minor and later sexually abusing their daughter Hifa İkra Şengüler, 8, from the age of three.
Before her death, Çelik had said she had been receiving death threats and warned that if anything happened to her it should not be portrayed as suicide. She also alleged that officials from Turkey’s Family and Social Services Ministry had threatened to remove her daughter from her care if she continued her protest.
Prosecutors initially ruled that there was no need to pursue charges of “sexual abuse of a child” against Şengüler, which were only filed after sustained pressure from women’s rights groups that had supported Çelik throughout the legal process.
In January the İstanbul Anadolu 2nd High Criminal Court released Şengüler pending trial and adjourned the case until May 5. The decision drew widespread condemnation from activists and prompted Çelik to begin a vigil outside the Anadolu Courthouse in İstanbul’s Kartal district, where she continued to protest until her death.
During the vigil Çelik said her daughter had faced blame and social exclusion and was unable to attend school. She had reportedly stopped eating due to psychological distress.
The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office imposed a confidentiality order and a broadcasting ban on the case.
Women’s rights organizations and the Child Rights Center of the İstanbul Bar Association accused the government of failing to fulfill its obligations, saying existing child protection mechanisms had clearly failed.
The Family and Social Services Ministry denied the allegations, saying an emergency protection order had been issued for the child on Monday. It said officials went to the family’s registered address the same day but found no one there and alleged that Çelik had declined inpatient psychiatric treatment for her daughter.
Opposition lawmaker Halide Türkoğlu of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) submitted a parliamentary inquiry to the family minister, demanding answers on what protective measures had been taken and why no arrest warrant had been issued for the abuse suspect.
Child sexual abuse remains alarmingly prevalent in Turkey. According to a 2024 report by the Istanbul-based Bread and Rose Association, nearly 16,000 sexual abuse cases went to trial in Turkey in 2024 resulting in the conviction of more than 7,000 defendants, according to official figures.
The rights groups and opposition parties warn that a culture of impunity continues to shield perpetrators, with many allegations of sexual abuse left uninvestigated and no formal charges filed.
