Turkistan Region: Gym Teacher Accused of Harassment, Schoolgirl Reportedly Told to Keep Quiet

A gym teacher was arrested in the Kazygurt district of the Turkistan region. A 14-year-old schoolgirl accused him of sexual harassment. Allegedly, the teacher took her to a deserted place at night and made an advance toward her in the car. 

In a conversation with an Orda.kz correspondent, the teenager's mother said that the school is fully aware of the situation, but "they pressured her into staying silent."

The child has refused to attend school and is now being homeschooled. For the past three months, the mother, Gulzhaukhan Medetbekova, has been taking her daughter to see psychologists and speak with investigators.

According to Gulzhaukhan, the incident occurred in March. She says the teacher came at night and invited her daughter out for a walk. Trusting him, the girl agreed — only to be taken to a secluded area instead.

He said he loved me. Then he started hugging, kissing, touching my chest and legs. I moved his hands away. The car was parked a short distance away. When he turned his back, I took the chance to run. I jumped out of the car and made it to the house. The lights were on — my parents were looking for me.the eighth-grader shared. 

After finding out what had happened, the parents went to the police. Following that, the girl refused to go to school. Her mother believes the teachers are to blame.

Now they're defending themselves. But what about the children? Several teachers are already planning to quit. They told my daughter not to say anything to us and warned her that she still has many years of school ahead. That’s how they intimidated her, says Gulzhaukhan Medetbekova.  

The director of the Bauyrzhan Momyshuly School does not deny what happened. However, according to his version, it was not the teachers who put pressure on the girl, but her classmates.

This girl needs pedagogical and psychological help, and we’re already working on that. Everyone at the school is now aware of what happened, which is why she has withdrawn. She’s expected to return in September,said school principal Dosbol Zhamalov. 

The suspect is a 38-year-old physical education teacher and father of five. He had been working at the school for 16 years. He is currently in custody, and a criminal case has been opened against him.

The investigation is ongoing.

Original Author: Nazerke Yerkinbekkyzy