Newsletters
The Turkish Parliament is drafting a multi-layered reform package to address the systemic issue of children driven into crime.
This new model moves beyond a narrow focus on the criminal justice system to incorporate social, educational, and digital interventions. Lawmakers expect to submit the proposal to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye in July.
The report from the Parliamentary Commission on Children Driven into Crime serves as the foundation for this regulation. The commission identified three critical risk areas: insufficient preventive social policies, criminal networks flourishing on digital platforms, and risk factors rooted in the school environment.
A 66-item social policy text highlights poverty, broken family structures, and disengagement from education as the primary drivers of juvenile delinquency. To combat these issues, the reform introduces specific mechanisms to intervene before a crime occurs.
The reform package also includes a dedicated section for digital environments, noting that criminal organizations increasingly target children through online platforms.
The proposal introduces faster intervention and content audit mechanisms to mitigate online risks. By increasing administrative and technical measures, the government intends to curb the influence of digital crime networks on minors.
The core of this new approach shifts the focus from punitive measures to rehabilitation and social reintegration. The draft aims to establish specialized investigation and prosecution mechanisms tailored specifically to children.
According to the commission's findings, the goal is to prevent recidivism by utilizing probation, educational programs, and social service interventions more effectively.
Rather than focusing solely on the consequences of crime, the model attempts to address the underlying causes to ensure long-term social transformation. The legislative proposal remains on track for parliamentary discussion this summer.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
3 min read
