Ministry to propose bill as Türkiye discusses minor justice system

ANKARA

The Justice Ministry is preparing a bill to revise how minors are prosecuted and tried, the minister has said, as Türkiye grapples with renewed public debate over the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old boy by peers.

“We have conducted evaluations regarding the criminal justice system for minors, especially in terms of deterrence and the procedural handling of child victims of crime during prosecution and enforcement stages,” Yılmaz Tunç said at an event in the capital Ankara on July 23.

The debate was reignited by the fatal stabbing of Turkish-Italian teenager Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi by two peers on Jan. 24 in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district.

The suspects, both minors, face a maximum sentence of 24 years under current Turkish law, which prohibits life imprisonment for individuals under 18 due to mandatory sentence reductions based on age.

The seemingly motiveless and brutal nature of the attack — carried out by complete strangers — has shocked the nation and sparked outrage. Under the Turkish Penal Code, children under 12 cannot be held criminally responsible. Those aged 12 to 15 may face prosecution only with a forensic medical report determining criminal capacity and are subject to sentence reductions. For those aged 15 to 18, similar reports are required and certain sentence reductions still apply.

“All of these matters are being reconsidered,” Tunç noted.

“Protecting children from crime is essential because they are among the most vulnerable to dangers in their surroundings. The state and families both have responsibilities in this area.”

Minguzzi’s family, who say they have received threats from the perpetrators’ relatives, are calling for the attackers to be tried as adults.

His mother, Yasemin Minguzzi, staged a sit-in protest this week in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district to draw attention to the issue. She was joined by other mothers who had lost their children in similar incidents.

Holding signs with photos of their deceased children, the women demanded justice and called for changes to sentencing laws.

The protest has brought national focus to the question of juvenile sentencing — particularly the legal framework that prevents children from being tried as adults, even in cases of severe, seemingly unprovoked crimes like Minguzzi’s murder.