Bill on Children Drawn into Crime

The Bill on the Amendment of Certain Laws Concerning the Child Protection Law, submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on 14 July 2026, proposes comprehensive reforms to the juvenile justice system. The bill aims to prevent children from engaging in criminal behavior, reduce the risk of reoffending, reintegrate children into society, and enhance deterrence in cases of serious offenses. The reforms include not only the recalculation of penal sanctions but also new social service practices, education-focused measures, digital monitoring mechanisms, and protective measures designed to safeguard children. 

Under the bill, penalties applicable to children are to be increased, judges are to be granted broader discretionary powers, the enforcement system is to be restructured, and new protective measures for child rehabilitation are to be introduced. Additionally, the bill proposes replacing the long-standing legal term “child led into crime” with the expression “child in the judicial process.” 

The bill seeks to transform the juvenile justice system from one based solely on punishment into a structure that is protective, preventive, and rehabilitative. It aims to strengthen social mechanisms that prevent children from reoffending, increase parental responsibility, and ensure greater consideration of individual child characteristics during judicial proceedings. 

At the same time, in response to growing public debate over serious crimes committed by children in recent years, the bill specifically aims to strengthen deterrence in cases of intentional homicide, grievous bodily harm, and similar offenses. While upholding the principle of the child’s best interest, the bill adopts a distinct penal approach for serious crimes. 

The bill proposes significant amendments to the provisions of the Turkish Criminal Code concerning age-related criminal responsibility. For children aged 12 to 15 who are criminally responsible, the length of the aggravated life imprisonment sentence imposed in lieu of life imprisonment is to be increased. Similarly, the maximum penalties applicable in place of life imprisonment and the upper limits for penalties in other offenses are to be raised. 

For children aged 15 to 18, the minimum and maximum limits of imprisonment sentences imposed in lieu of aggravated life imprisonment are also to be increased. Additionally, the maximum prison terms applicable for other offenses are to be raised, with the aim of establishing a more deterrent sanctioning system, particularly for serious crimes. 

One of the bill’s notable provisions is the new evaluative authority granted to judges. In cases of intentional homicide and aggravated bodily harm resulting from intent, judges will be empowered to determine whether age-related mitigation rules apply, taking into account the manner of the offense, the offender’s intent, purpose, motive, and prior convictions for intentional crimes. 

Additionally, the bill permits the application of stricter penalties normally reserved for children aged 15 to 18 to those aged 12 to 15, based on the specific circumstances of each case. This aims to ensure individualized assessment of each case and to provide judges with broader discretion. 

The bill also revises the provisions governing recidivism among children. Under current practice, offenses committed before the age of 18 are not considered for recidivism purposes. The new regulation proposes lowering this threshold to age 15. Consequently, if a child commits and is definitively convicted of an offense after turning 15, and subsequently reoffends, recidivism provisions may be applied. 

The amendment aims to prevent reoffending, particularly in serious crimes, and to strengthen the deterrent effect of the penal system. Application of recidivism provisions may result in harsher penalties and more severe enforcement consequences for the child. 

The bill does not only introduce reforms targeting children but also increases penalties for adults responsible for child protection. Individuals who fail to exercise due care in storing firearms, thereby enabling a child to access them, may face imprisonment of one to three years. The amendment aims to ensure that firearms kept in homes and other living environments are secured so that children cannot reach them. 

The bill also increases penalties for parents or guardians who fail to fulfill their legal duties of care, education, and supervision. Parents who seriously endanger a child’s safety, morality, or health may face heavier prison sentences, and if such neglect leads the child to commit a serious offense, the penalty may be further increased. 

The bill introduces new restrictions on the sale of knives, cutting, piercing, and slashing tools that fall outside the scope of Law No. 6136. The sale and display of these items are prohibited outside licensed commercial establishments, and their sale to persons under 18 is banned. Additionally, children’s purchase and possession of such tools are now included within the scope of the prohibition. 

Administrative fines are to be imposed on individuals who violate the ban, and in necessary cases, the items may be confiscated and transferred to public ownership. The regulation is also planned to cover online and distance sales. 

One of the bill’s key provisions is the expansion of the scope of social assessment reports. Under the new rules, a social assessment report is mandatory for all children under the age of 15. The report will comprehensively evaluate the child’s family structure, educational status, social environment, individual characteristics, and factors contributing to their involvement in crime. 

Prosecutions may be returned to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office if a social assessment report has not been prepared. For children aged 15 and above, if no social assessment is conducted, the prosecutor or judge must explicitly state the reasons in the ruling. The amendment aims to ensure that decisions regarding children are based on comprehensive social evaluations. 

The bill also introduces rehabilitation-focused measures for children who are not criminally responsible or who are involved in judicial proceedings. These include participation in social service activities provided by public institutions or local administrations, duties in libraries and reading rooms, reading assigned books, and engagement in community service such as environmental cleanup and tree planting. 

Additionally, children with alcohol, drug, nicotine, gambling, or behavioral addictions are to be referred to treatment and rehabilitation programs. The aim is to strengthen social support mechanisms that facilitate children’s reintegration into society, rather than focusing solely on punishment. 

The bill proposes a new protection mechanism to prevent children from encountering risks in digital environments. Under the “protection measure against digital risks,” courts may order the monitoring of a child’s mobile phone, computer, tablet, or similar digital devices for a specified period. The monitoring period may not be less than three months or exceed two years. 

Access to websites, mobile applications, and digital platforms deemed risky may be restricted. Monitoring is planned to be carried out by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) and the Cybersecurity Presidency. The bill aims to protect children from risks associated with digital addiction, harmful content, and online crimes. 

The bill introduces a new emergency protection mechanism for children assessed as posing a serious risk to themselves or others due to mental illness, intellectual disability, alcohol or drug addiction, behavioral addiction, or dangerous infectious diseases. A preliminary evaluation by a specialist physician must be completed within 24 hours, and the health facility must then apply to a child judge within the following 24 hours. 

A medical board composed of three specialists must submit its report to the court within 48 hours, and the judge must issue a ruling within another 48 hours. During this period, medical intervention may be applied if deemed necessary, and the child’s location may be kept confidential or contact with the family may be restricted to ensure the child’s safety. 

The bill also revises procedures for the enforcement of sentences against child offenders. Sentences are to be served primarily in juvenile closed correctional facilities. However, if the child is deemed to have good conduct, they may be transferred to child education homes. Additionally, children are to be housed in separate sections not only according to age and gender but also based on the nature of the offense committed. 

Children sentenced to three years or less for intentional crimes, or five years or less for negligent crimes, excluding terrorism and organizational offenses, are to serve their sentences directly in child education homes. Children who escape from these homes, disrupt institutional order, or are detained for another offense may be returned to juvenile closed correctional facilities. 

The bill also introduces changes to conditional release provisions for child offenders. Under current practice, each day spent in a correctional facility before the age of 15 is counted as two days toward conditional release eligibility. The new regulation proposes that this practice no longer apply to offenses involving intentional homicide, sexual offenses against bodily integrity, drug manufacturing and trafficking, or forming an organization for criminal purposes. 

For children convicted of these offenses, each day served in prison will count as one day toward conditional release eligibility. The amendment aims to tighten the enforcement regime for serious crimes. 

One of the bill’s notable provisions is the replacement of the term “child led into crime,” currently used in legislation, with the expression “child in the judicial process.” The justification for this change states that the current term carries a preconceived judgment and implies direct attribution of guilt to the child. 

The new terminology aims to adopt a more neutral and legally accurate language that reflects the principle of the child’s best interest. This change is part of broader efforts to reform the language of the juvenile justice system toward a more protective and rights-based approach. 

The bill encompasses comprehensive reforms that both increase penal sanctions and expand rehabilitative and protective mechanisms within the juvenile justice system. While it proposes harsher penalties for serious offenses and broader judicial discretion, it also introduces social services, educational initiatives, addiction treatment programs, and digital monitoring measures aimed at reintegrating children into society. 

However, the bill has generated differing assessments in public opinion and legal circles. Supporters argue that increasing deterrence in cases involving serious crimes committed by children is essential for public safety. Critics, however, emphasize that the fundamental principles of juvenile justice—the child’s best interest and a rehabilitative approach—must be preserved. These debates remain part of the legislative agenda in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. 

The Bill on the Amendment of Certain Laws Concerning the Child Protection Law, bearing the signatures of AK Party members of parliament, was submitted to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on 14 July 2026. For the bill to become law, it must be reviewed by the relevant specialized committees, approved by the General Assembly, and signed into law by the President before being published in the Official Gazette. The Presidency of the Grand National Assembly has stated that the bill proposes numerous amendments across multiple laws relating to the juvenile justice system, enforcement regimes, and child protection. 

If enacted, the bill will lead to the restructuring of numerous practices in the juvenile justice system. New provisions will come into effect across a wide range of areas—from sentencing and enforcement procedures to social assessment reports, protective measures, digital monitoring, and social rehabilitation programs for children. The amendment is expected to constitute one of the most comprehensive legal reforms reshaping both the punitive and protective dimensions of the juvenile justice system in Türkiye.