Details of Qyzylorda Schoolgirl's Sexual Exploitation

The Qyzylorda Regional Court has determined the measure of restraint for schoolchildren suspected of abusing a classmate. Last week, an online press conference concerning the situation was held. Nemolchi organized it along with Kazakhstani public figures, lawyers, and the victim's relatives. According to the organizers, a group of minors kept a young girl in sexual slavery, Orda.kz reports.

According to lawyer Gulaykhan Tursumanova, NeMolchi approached her with a request to go to Qyzylorda and help seek justice. At the press conference, she reported that the victim was currently feeling extremely unwell but could describe the circumstances of the incident. Tursumanova first met with the investigator conducting the pre-trial investigation of this criminal case.

It was initiated under Article 134, Part 3, Clause 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Involvement of a minor in prostitution by a group of persons by prior agreement"). The case has been transferred to the Qyzylorda Region Police Department.  
 
Tursumanova and her colleagues filed an appeal and succeeded in getting the court to change the measure of restraint for the suspects. Three of the four were placed in custody. 

Meanwhile, as reported by the regional Akimat, on August 16, employees were fired at the school where the girl studied: the principal, the deputy for educational work, the specialist in educational work, the psychologist, a social worker, and class teachers. The head of the city education department was given a severe reprimand.

During a raid, the police found the girl in a city sauna. Information that the minor was engaged in prostitution was received by the Organized Crime Control Department of the Qyzylorda Region Police Department. On August 5, the schoolgirl was questioned, and it was found out that back in January, she had been drinking with her friends - a classmate and a second-year college student.

They threatened her with a compromising video they had taken. The girl was told the video would be made public if she refused to work in sexual exploitation. Dina Tansari also stated that the classmates made threats related to influential relatives from Astana and killing her parents. The girl would periodically get in touch and record videos, saying she worked as a cafe waitress or a flower shop salesperson. Her parents would go there, but they would be told: "A girl came, made a video, and left." The girl has said her peers forced her to do this so her parents would not make a fuss.

Victim's Mother: We Didn't Know What Was Happening

In this situation, there is only one victim — the young girl. What exactly happened has yet to be determined. 

The victim's mother, wishing to remain anonymous, participated in the press conference as she faced condemnation. She said that her daughter was kept in sexual slavery for eight months, but she did not know about it. According to her, a classmate, one of the suspects, lived 500 meters from the school and their home. She was close friends with her daughter and often stayed overnight. The girls shared common interests and, at some point, began to ask permission to spend the night at the friend's home.

We were against it initially and tried to keep in touch with her. But, as it turned out, in January, a classmate with her cousin and a classmate with his cousin forcibly held my daughter and forced her to engage in prostitution, said mom.

She claims that at first, her daughter was not at home for short periods, but then the suspects "developed an appetite," and her absences became longer. More than 1,000 people allegedly sent the girl payment for services during this time. There were days, according to the mother, when the victim was exploited for two days. She was allegedly forced to transfer money to her peers' accounts every hour at this time. It was not possible to ask the mother questions at the press conference.

The mother claims she turned to the school for help several times since the girl often missed classes and exams, but no one could help her.

They threatened me every time that if I filed a complaint then, my daughter’s character reference would be damaged, for which we would be deprived of parental rights, and she would be sent to a boarding school, said the victim's mother.

She stated that she was concerned about this and contacted the juvenile police. The woman claims to have been intimidated by threats of a boarding school and deprivation of parental rights, stopping her from taking any further action.

The woman also claims that on August 12, she contacted the National Security Committee with a statement that the brother of one of the defendants was obstructing the investigation. 

I contacted the KNB, where they scolded me, saying that this couldn't have happened. Only after I showed them the video (no video was provided to journalists - Ed.), did they accept my statement. And yesterday, the Department of Internal Affairs head called me and was outraged that I was contacting the media. He insisted that I not give any interviews and 'resolve everything here,'she added.

Aunt - She Looks Like A Small Child

The sister of the victim's mother also spoke at the conference. She said the girl was not provided quality medical care after the incident. The family had hoped for professional legal assistance and psychologists after filing an unsuccessful police report. 

Following this statement, the Commissioner for Children's Rights of the Qyzylorda Region, Zhaksygul Toganova, spoke about this on her social networks. She stated she had met with the girl and talked with her mother. 

I organized medical and psychological assistance. Three meetings with psychologists took place. With the aid of the health department, the girl underwent a complete medical examination, she said.

The victim was also recommended to be hospitalized, but the mother declined. The girl would later be provided with medical care at home. 24-hour security has been posted at her house's premises. The family has reportedly faced threats.

Dina Tansari: Police Can Find These Thousand People Instantly If They Want

Activist Dina Tansari believes that Kazakhstani police officers can easily find all the people involved in the exploitation of the girl. She also insists that each of them be held criminally responsible.

Thanks to the fact that the molesters made the payments via Kaspi transfer, it is very easy to find them. I call them molesters because they clearly understood that they were with a child. And regarding the little panderers, I want to say that they did not act independently. Let's also bring to justice the adults into whose wallets this money was subsequently deposited, she said.

The exploitation reportedly started when the girl was 15. This means that only her mother could have opened the card for her, and she could have tracked all transfers from and to her daughter's card. She didn't do this. Why?

Tansari also claims that a vast number of underage girls are registered on the Kyzdar.net website. Speaking about other cases, she explained the "codes" used to let clients know that the girls are underage. 

There was a similar case in 2017 when girls from orphanages were involved in prostitution. We forwarded this case to the prosecutor's office. Girls who were under 18 had their hair dyed blue or pink. This way, clients knew who they were dealing with. Therefore, their guilt cannot be ruled out. It is very difficult not to understand that they were with a child in slavery. The girl was intimidated. She did not look like a vulgar model,Tansari stated.

Khalida Azhigulova: Children Need to Be Taught to Say “No,” But State Is Opposed

A doctor of law and international consultant to the UN believes that the weak prevention of sexual violence in Kazakhstan is to blame. Children in our country are not educated in protecting their rights and are unaware of how to defend personal boundaries. 

This is not taught in school or university. Since 2019, I have personally sent appeals to all authorized bodies, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, and the Presidential Executive Office, especially after the January events. I spoke about the need to teach children their basic rights so that they know that they can refuse anyone who violates their boundaries and not feel guilty about it. But all attempts were doomed to fail, she said.

Azhigulova added that the principles of personal safety are instilled in a person from childhood, but in our country, this mission has failed. According to her, the state teaches anything but human rights. 

Unfortunately, I have seen this resistance for many years when they do not want to include human rights in the compulsory educational program. But I insist that schools should take on these functions - the education system. At the same time, even adults do not have legal literacy. This is a long-standing problem. They are embarrassed; they are ashamed to talk about this with children, she said.

Aitbek Amangeldy: Statistics on Sexualized Violence in Kazakhstan Underreported

Human rights activist Aitbek Amangeldy believes official statistics on sexualized violence do not accurately reflect what is happening in Kazakhstan.

The attitude towards the victim and her relatives is shocking, which makes it necessary to raise the issue of moving the family to another city. As for the statistics of such horrific crimes, they are very underreported. The website of the National Statistics Bureau from 2018 to 2022 reflects only three cases of sexualized violence, although there were many more, he said.

Aitbek Amangeldy also noted that the punishment in Kazakhstan ranges from 6-10 years of imprisonment. In many other countries, similar crimes can lead to life imprisonment. 

Not only here, but throughout our country, there is a difficult turning point, and society must make adjustments, he summed up.

The Police's Opinion

The Ministry of Internal Affairs declined to publish details, citing the confidentiality of the investigation. The only thing they addressed to the public and the media was a request not to spread fakes about the incident. They did not say exactly what information being spread could be fake, but they warned about liability.

On social networks, users, without verifying the veracity of the information, spread false information. In particular, on the social network on the topic 'Members of a school organized crime group from Qyzylorda kept a classmate in sex slavery' and on the situation around this case, a lot of misinformation has appeared, which is spread through social networks. This information does not correspond to reality,
 the department reported.

They also made it clear that the girl’s mother, against whom a case has already been opened for failure to fulfill her responsibilities in raising a minor, will also face punishment.

Original Author: Olga Ibrayeva

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. For accuracy, please refer to the original article in Russian published on 15/08/24. The text has been modified to reflect the situation as of 19/08/24.