Aslı Murat: Juvenile Crime Rate Rose 170 Percent Between 2020 and 2025

Murat was speaking as a guest on Gündem, a program on Kıbrıs Postası TV hosted by Ulaş Barış.

Discussing public trust in the judiciary, the heavy caseload of criminal courts, the rehabilitation of inmates, and the sharp rise in youth crime, Murat shared striking statistics:

“In recent years, I reviewed the rate of juvenile offenders aged 12 to 16. Between 2020 and 2025, there was a 170 percent increase. It is a very alarming picture. And these are not petty crimes — we are talking about firearms, theft, fighting, assault, and forgery,” she said.

Murat stressed the importance of rehabilitation centers, saying, “A reformatory is different from a prison — it is more focused on education. In the new prison, a juvenile section was built, but due to a lack of guards, children have not been placed there. Children and adults should never be kept in the same place.”

She criticized the state for failing to develop adequate projects and noted a shortage of social workers: “Children given probation orders must be followed closely. As juvenile crime rises, the lack of rehabilitative mechanisms creates a serious problem.”

Murat said public trust in the judiciary remains high in surveys and that she, as a lawyer, does not see major problems with the courts. She also highlighted comments made by Supreme Election Council President Bertan Özerdağ, who announced at a recent courthouse reception that digitalization will be integrated into the judiciary.

Murat recalled that Özerdağ had suggested opening an additional criminal court due to case backlogs: “When people see a crowd in the courthouse courtyard, that is the workload of the criminal courts. It was stated that the system would be expanded to two tiers.”

“If judges are saying ‘our workload has increased,’ we must understand that unlawful activity has also increased,” Murat added, pointing to a rise in illegal actions, lawsuits against state practices, and debt disputes as indicators of the country’s economic and social decline.

Initial Inquiry Procedure to Be Abolished

Murat also commented on the decision to abolish the initial inquiry procedure, in which courts examine whether there is enough evidence before referring a case to the criminal court: “This is a time-consuming process. The Bar Association agrees that this step should be removed, and cases should be sent directly to the criminal court to save time.”

Rehabilitation and Reintegration Challenges

Speaking about rehabilitation projects, Murat said their program to reintegrate ex-convicts into society would conclude at the end of the month: “Our closing event will be on Thursday. We will highlight the challenges former prisoners face in finding employment. If an ex-convict cannot find work, they often reoffend. Prison guards tell us there are many repeat offenders.”

She reminded that under labor law, workplaces with 50 or more employees are legally required to hire at least one former prisoner, but many large companies are unaware of this rule. Murat said they requested data from the Ministry of Labor but were denied access, being told the information was private: “We did not ask for personal data, we asked whether inspections were being done. I don’t think inspections are taking place.”

Murat said there is strong prejudice against former convicts: “People are more forgiving about traffic offenses, but for more serious crimes there is zero tolerance. Every person must work to sustain their life. The state should create incentives to employ former prisoners.”

“We Are Not Opposed to Criminal Record Amnesty”

Addressing the issue of record amnesty, Murat said, “We are not against criminal record amnesty. The committee adjusted some of the timelines in the law. Previously, there was no expungement for serious crimes — this has been slightly eased. Clearing a criminal record is parallel to the right to be forgotten, but it is not automatic — an application through a lawyer is still required.”