According to the government-affiliated news outlet Rokna, seven men in Tehran raped a 15-year-old girl after taking advantage of her vulnerable situation.
The report states that the girl initially ran away from her home and sought safety at a social welfare center (Behzisti), but fled from there as well. She was then lured by a young man who took her to a garden, where she was raped by seven men.
According to a source, after the girl’s family was informed, her father, as her legal guardian, chose not to pursue legal action.
It is important to note that when an official support institution (Behzisti) is so untrustworthy that an abused child prefers to run away rather than stay, it indicates that the state has failed to provide even minimal safety for children.
The tragedy is compounded when the victim’s father refrains from filing a complaint. This silence reflects total despair in the judicial system and fear of a society that blames the victim.
Who will take responsibility for the teenagers in Iran who have no safe place to turn?