Documentary record Bound by Fear
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Conviction Islamic institutions and contexts Quranic-school and daara systems Ağrı, Turkey · 2023

Turkey: Quran-course instructor sentenced to 35 years 5 months for the abuse and confinement of a nine-year-old student in Ağrı

Record class

Core record

Evidence status

Convicted

Authority role

Quran-course instructor (Kuran kursu hocası)

Organization

İmam Buhari Yatılı Erkek Kuran Kursu

Spiritual nexus

Kaya held direct pedagogical and custodial authority over a live-in child student as his Quran-course instructor, using that position and threats to abuse and confine the boy within the residential course.

  • Pastoral or clerical authority
  • Institutional obedience or isolation

Evidence structure

Proceedings

  1. Date in cited record · verdict

    Ağrı 2nd Heavy Penal Court (criminal). Quran-course instructor Yusuf Kaya sentenced to a combined 35 years 5 months: 30 years for aggravated child sexual abuse, 5 years for unlawful confinement, and 5 months for assault, against a nine-year-old student (U.P.) at the İmam Buhari residential Quran course.

Documented coercion mechanisms

  • spiritual/pedagogical authority
  • threats of violence
  • confinement

Primary record

Sources

Hürriyet, 'Kurstaki cinsel istismara 35 yıl'. Available at: hurriyet.com.tr (Accessed: 19 July 2026).

Turkish original: "Ağrı'da İmam Buhari Yatılı Erkek Kuran Kursu'nda 9 yaşındaki bir öğrenciye tecavüz eden Kuran hocası Yusuf Kaya'ya cinsel istismar suçundan 30 yıl, hürriyeti tahdit suçundan 5 yıl, yaralama suçundan da 5 ay olmak üzere toplam 35 yıl 5 ay hapis cezası verildi." English gloss: Quran teacher Yusuf Kaya, who raped a nine-year-old student at the İmam Buhari residential boys' Quran course in Ağrı, was sentenced to a total of 35 years 5 months: 30 years for sexual abuse, 5 years for unlawful confinement, and 5 months for assault.

soL Haber, 'İşte Türkiye'nin Kuran kursu gerçeği: İstismar, dayak, ölüm...'. Available at: haber.sol.org.tr (Accessed: 19 July 2026).

Contextual reporting situating the Ağrı case within a pattern of documented abuse, beatings, and deaths at residential Quran courses across Turkey; the victim stated he stayed silent out of fear after Kaya threatened him.

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