15.03.2026 12:36
Mehmet Ay, who is autistic and was sent home from a special education center in Antalya after reportedly fainting, had his broken hip discovered four days later because it was not communicated to his family. He underwent surgery and had four plates inserted. Footage of the moments when autistic Mehmet fell emerged seven months later, while the family complained that the events were concealed from them, which caused a delay in treatment.
Mehmet, one of the 3 children of Fatma and Uğur Ay, living in the Kepez district of Antalya, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 6 months. The Ay family started sending Mehmet to a special education center in the Kepez district from a young age. Mehmet Ay, who has been receiving education here for years, got on the bus to go to the education center on July 25 last year.
THEY SAID "HE DIDN'T FALL, HE WAS UNWELL"
Two hours later, the family was informed that their child was unwell. The officials at the center said they sent Mehmet home by bus and that he needed to be greeted downstairs because he was unable to walk. Uğur Ay, trying to understand the situation, took his son out of the bus and drove him to the hospital. When the doctors asked about the child's condition, Ay called the officials at the center again and received the response, "He didn't fall."
IT WAS NOTICED 4 DAYS LATER THAT HIS HIP WAS BROKEN
Mehmet Ay, who was discharged, was taken to the doctor again 4 days later when his pain did not subside. An X-ray taken here revealed that Mehmet Ay had a fracture in his hip, and he was taken for surgery. The family of Mehmet, who had 4 screws placed in his hip, filed a complaint against the officials of the education center, claiming that they hid the fact that their child had fallen, which caused a delay in his treatment.
SCANDAL IMAGES EMERGED 7 MONTHS LATER
After 7 months, security camera footage of the moment Mehmet fell down the stairs was revealed. In the footage, it was seen that Mehmet, who was going up the stairs with his teacher, fell to the ground after a while, and he was taken down the stairs without any checks.
“HE HID THE FALL FROM US”
Uğur Ay stated that the delay in treatment was due to not being informed that his son Mehmet had fallen, saying, "On the day of the incident, we were not told that our child had fallen. When the camera footage reached us, we saw that our child had fallen. Since the fall was hidden, our treatment was delayed. The necessary actions that should have been taken for a person who had a fracture in his hip due to the fall were not implemented. Despite being in a special education school, it was revealed how inadequate the staff were in first aid. For a person who fell and broke his hip, at least call a healthcare worker instead of leaving him where he fell," he said.
“HE WAS MADE TO WALK DESPITE HIS BROKEN HIP”
Uğur Ay stated that they filed a lawsuit regarding the incident, saying, "Instead of carrying my child after picking him up, they should have seated him somewhere, but despite having a wheelchair just 1 meter away, my child was not seated here and was made to walk with his broken leg. Because of this, perhaps that fracture progressed to a more advanced stage. The institution claimed that there was a disabled ramp and submitted the invoice to the file, but no disabled ramp is visible in the footage. We filed our lawsuit. The file is before the judge," he said.
“HE COULDN'T OVERCOME HIS FEARS”
Uğur Ay stated that his son initially did not want to go to school, saying, "Mehmet stayed in the hospital for more than a month and lay in bed at home for a long time. He recovered afterwards, but he is much worse than before now. He walks with a limp, cannot walk for long periods, and gets tired quickly. We can say that it left a permanent mark that will affect his life for a lifetime. We registered him in another school, but he did not want to go, he was scared. The child could not overcome his fears. He still has fears of school and teachers. It left a permanent mark on the child," he expressed.