Protesters in Gonbad-e Kavus: Why is the Child Abuse Suspect Charged with Kidnapping?

News of sexual abuse of two children in one of the Turkmen-inhabited villages of Iran by a Golestan Dam guard sparked protests. Protesters set fire to the Golestan Dam guard headquarters. The protests were accompanied by the arrest of the suspect and two protesters, including the village mayor.

One day after the child abuse incident, residents of “Arab Sorang” village protested the detention of villagers by law enforcement by posting critical content on social media pages, demanding immediate action by authorities on this case and the release of detained villagers.

Arab Sorang is a village under the central district of Gonbad-e Kavus city in Golestan province.

One member of the village council, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “During the protests, village residents who were dissatisfied with the dam guard’s actions expressed their displeasure by throwing stones at law enforcement vehicles.”

Although some protesters believe the sexual abuse resulted in rape, the Gonbad-e Kavus prosecutor, while denying the charge of “child rape,” told Iranian media: “These two children who are seven and eight years old were sent for legal medicine examination, and after review, legal medicine rejected the rape allegation.” He continued by saying that the suspect is currently in temporary detention on charges of “kidnapping.”

Turkmen Clergyman’s Reaction to Sexual Abuse Incident

Following citizens’ reactions to the sexual abuse incident, “Amjad Akhond Nazari,” a Sunni clergyman and Friday prayer leader of “Qarah Balaagh,” also condemned the act. On the second night of Farvardin 1400, in an Instagram conversation, he called for immediate action by judicial and security authorities on this case.

This Sunni clergyman described the details of the incident, saying that two seven and eight-year-old children took refuge in the Golestan Dam guard headquarters while fleeing from a stray dog; however, the Golestan Dam guard, taking advantage of this opportunity, “stripped the two children and forced them to dance and intended to rape them, but the children managed to escape the guard headquarters.”

The director of the Qarah Balaagh religious school later reported the arrest of the village mayor and a Sunni clergyman who were present in the village protests and requested security officials to help and release these two citizens.

Gonbad-e Kavus Citizens’ Response: Why the Kidnapping Charge?

Following the spread of protests on social media, a number of civil activists called for a protest gathering on the third day of Farvardin for the day. Among the demands of protesters in this call, were the release of detained protesters and the correction of the charge definition made by judicial bodies overseeing this case.

However, the civil activists’ call was met with opposition from some political figures and clergy of the region. Aman Galech Shadmehr, the representative of Gonbad-e Kavus people in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and the Friday prayer leaders of this city were among the opponents of the protest gathering call.

Despite all security and media pressures, on the afternoon of the third day of Farvardin, hundreds of protesters held a protest gathering in front of the prosecutor’s office of Gonbad county. In this gathering, the governor and Friday prayer leader of Gonbad promised cooperation and early release of the two detained citizens, calling on protesters to remain calm; however, ultimately, this gathering, which had started peacefully, turned violent with the use of tear gas and beatings of protesters by law enforcement and security agencies.

Simultaneously, “Tohrah,” the Organization of Human Rights Activists of Iran’s Turkmen, published several videos and images on its Twitter page in connection with these protests and reported mobile internet disruptions.

Hours after the protests turned violent, local media close to the Iranian government reported the release of two detained protesters in this case.

According to reports, at least six protesters on Tuesday, the third day of Farvardin (March 23), have been arrested by security forces. Reports of the deployment of anti-riot forces across Gonbad-e Kavus city have also been reported.

What Do Child Rights Activists Say?

Hamed Farmand, a child rights activist, says: “The incident that occurred has several aspects. One part of it is the lack of a safe environment. This issue is also mentioned in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that a safe environment should be provided for children’s play and welfare facilities should be in place. The issue of the stray dog and the children taking refuge in the Golestan Dam guard headquarters shows the absence of an adult near the children’s playground, which has removed the child from a safe environment, and these are a set of responsibilities that fall to governments and authorities.”

Hamed Farmand further emphasized: “What we see less often in laws and analysis of these situations is where the government is forced to fulfill its duties, which is not reflected anywhere in the laws. Another issue is the matter of education, and that children should receive education about their bodies, which might result in contact with strangers ending in sexual abuse, although these two children, out of necessity, took refuge with this person.”

This child rights activist clarifies that the new law on the protection of children and adolescents in Iran obligates the government to provide education related to children’s rights, particularly in various sectors including radio and television, but because of existing taboos and government’s approach to education related to sexual matters, not only is education not carried out, but it also results in teaching incorrect education.

The definition of child abuse in Iran is unclear, and for this reason, accurate statistics in this field are not published, although from time to time Iranian media publish statistics in some provinces, but child rights activists believe that the statistics presented are not accurate and many cases of child abuse are not reported.

Source: DW