31.12.2025 14:30
In the Turgutlu district of Manisa, the school principal Bekir Güçlü, who was detained and tried for causing injury to a student with autism by pushing him down the stairs, was released at the second hearing. The principal denied the allegations against the student.
The school principal Bekir Güçlü (50), who was arrested and tried on charges of causing injury to B.U.U. (13), an autistic middle school student, by pushing him down the stairs in the Turgutlu district of MANISA, has been released. The incident occurred on November 5 at around 09:30 at Irlamaz Refik Pınar Middle School. B.U.U., a mainstream student with mild level autism studying in the 8th grade, was injured after rolling down the stairs due to the intervention of school principal Bekir Güçlü. After the incident, the student went home and explained the situation to his family, who took him to Turgutlu State Hospital. Following the family's complaint along with the school's security camera footage, the Turgutlu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation.
JUDICIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION INITIATED
The forensic examination report prepared indicated that B.U.U. was not in life-threatening danger and that the injury could be treated with simple medical intervention. After the security camera footage was included in the case file, school principal Güçlü was arrested on charges of 'deliberately injuring a child who cannot defend themselves.' The Manisa Provincial Directorate of National Education also announced that Bekir Güçlü was suspended by initiating an administrative investigation. Following the judicial investigation, a lawsuit was filed against Güçlü for 'deliberately injuring a child who cannot defend themselves.'
DECISION TO CONTINUE DETENTION IN THE FIRST HEARING
In the first hearing of the case, Bekir Güçlü, who defended himself via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS), denied the charges. In his defense, Güçlü stated, "When I saw the student on the stairs, I held his shoulder to ask why he wasn't attending class. He cursed and pushed himself backward, losing his balance and falling. I had no intentional action."
RELEASED IN THE SECOND HEARING
In the second hearing held today at the Turgutlu 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, the defendant Bekir Güçlü participated via SEGBİS, while the lawyers of both parties took their places in the courtroom. The court panel decided to release Güçlü to be tried without detention, considering that a large portion of the evidence in the case had been collected, the time the defendant had spent in detention, and the current state of the evidence.