One hundred and fifteen girls, including 39 from Syria, have been treated at a single hospital in Istanbul in less than five months. News website Hurriyet Daily reported 38 girls became pregnant before the age of 15, and 77 before turning 18. A hashtag, which translates as ‘You can’t cover up the abuse of 115 children’, has been used more than 47,000 times since Wednesday.
The story has also reignited wider debates about sexual abuse and women’s rights. Referring to previous assertions that women should not laugh in the street and should dress modestly, one user suggested the focus should shift away from women’s behaviour and onto their protection.
