What the papers say
THE “shocking” news of two separate incestuous sexual abuse cases was the topic of Ali Baturay’s column in Thursday’s Kıbrıs newspaper. Two reports of girls allegedly being sexually abused by their fathers made the headlines, in the space of two consecutive days, sparking fierce reactions on social media, with angry members of the public sharing pictures of the fathers.
But Mr Baturay asked: “Is this lynching on social media beneficial?”
He said it was “impossible to put into words” how important children were to their parents, and added: “The ‘rape’ and ‘sexual abuse’ claims have shocked us; we can’t accept them . . .
“I can understand people’s hate, but it is not right to transform this hate into a lynch mob on social media. Posting the image of the father and swearing underneath it is not the right approach.
“We think we are punishing that father, but actually we are harming his spouse and his other children, if there are any. The father may deserve all the swearing, damnation and cursing, but unveiling his identity is also unveiling that of his whole family and means they being dragged into this deep crisis.
“Judgements, attitudes and gossip can cut sharper than a knife; they can leave a deep and incurable wound. By exposing the abusing father, you are also finishing his whole family; we should never forget this.”
Mr Baturay questioned whether the cases should even be reported in the media, when even without naming those involved, “writing their village or town in this small country is enough to expose their identity”.
“Should the public be made aware? Maybe they should, so that awareness can be raised and precautions taken,” he mused.
“The fact that a person can be abused by their father — the one person they would trust, their hero, their protector — is the worst trauma someone can endure. Psychological support is crucial for the victims who will carry the scars. But it is not just the victim; all members of the family need this support.”
Mr Baturay said he had learned that in some countries, the identities of abusing fathers were concealed, and they went straight into psychological treatment along with their family, who were also protected from public reactions.
“There are not yet any statistics about incest relationships in the country, but some experts say there are many more than expected . . .
“We, including the press, have a lot to learn about how to deal with this problem, including what we need to do before, after and throughout the judicial process.
“It is easy to swear and share hate on social media, but it is of no use.”
Urging the Social Services Department to organise seminars for “all parts of society”, including the press and police, he concluded: “Let’s opt for the beneficial but discreet approach, over the unbeneficial and loud one; get support from experts, inform and raise awareness.”