JINHA

DERSIM –Women in Dersim have exposed a known molester in an act ofmutual aid and self-defense, announcing his behavior to the community and the world.

The man, HayriGüler, worked in the city with the left group Partizan.When a woman complained to the group New Democratic Women (YDK) about the man's behavior, they found that he had systematically harassed, molested and emotionally abused many women. Over the past week, YDK has exposed the man as a molester.

"We want to repeat that the place where this molester tried to hide his harassment is of no importance. No matter how close to us they may be, we won't tolerate enemies of women," said YDK, explaining the action.

"It is not acceptable to permit this person or any other molester in any space of opposition to the system. To give molesters the right to speak in these spaces is to give blood to the patriarchal system to rejuvenate itself. We want to state clearly that to do this is to take part in misogyny."

The statement decried attempts to justify anti-woman behavior.

"Neither this person's case, nor that of any harasser or rapist, can be acquitted as 'sickness.' This person's sexual attacks on women are not sporadic; they are systematic," said the YDK.

"After we lost Özgecan, first we took our rage to the streets, then we discussed how we will hold the enemies of women accountable and debated how we should struggle with male violence," said the women. The Dersim women said this was not the first time they had used this technique to expose a molester, and that they would continue to do so as long as necessary.

(fk/mg/cm)