Charity boss arrest in BBC sex-for-aid investigation ‘gives women strength’

A Turkish charity proprietor on the centre of sexual abuse allegations, dropped at mild by a BBC investigation, has been arrested.

BBC Information Turkish revealed accusations that Sadettin Karagoz sexually exploited susceptible ladies, promising them help in return for intercourse. He denies all of the allegations.

Mr Karagoz arrange his charity in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, in 2014. Syrian refugees determined for assist stated at first he appeared like “an angel”.

One in every of them, Madina, fled the Syrian civil struggle in 2016 and stated that two years later, one in all her kids turned critically in poor health and her husband deserted her. Her title has been modified to guard her anonymity.

Left to care for 3 kids alone, she went to Sadettin Karagoz’s organisation, which interprets because the Hope Charity Retailer. It gathers donations for refugees corresponding to nappies, pasta, milk and garments.

“He advised me: ‘When you might have nowhere to go, come to me and I’ll take care of you,” she says.

However when she did, Madina says he modified. She describes how Mr Karagoz advised her to go together with him to an space within the workplace behind a curtain to get some provides.

“He grabbed me,” she says. “He began kissing me… I advised him to get away from me. If I hadn’t yelled, he would have tried to rape me.”

Madina describes how she escaped from the constructing however Mr Karagoz later went to her house.

“I did not open the door as a result of I used to be terrified,” she says, explaining that he threatened to have her despatched again to Syria.

Afraid of repercussions, Madina says she by no means went to the police and didn’t inform anybody else what had occurred.

Mr Karagoz, a retired financial institution employee, denies the allegations and has advised the BBC that his organisation has helped greater than 37,000 folks.

He says that the help distribution space within the charity is small, crowded and monitored by CCTV so he couldn’t have been alone with any girl.

Through the years, his charity has gained widespread recognition and received an area newspaper award in 2020. It has been featured on nationwide TV, and he says it has attracted assist from nationwide and worldwide organisations. In March this 12 months he modified its Turkish title to My Residence-meal Affiliation.

In all, three ladies, together with Madina, advised the BBC that Mr Karagoz had sexually assaulted and harassed them.

Seven different folks, together with two former workers of his charity, say they both witnessed or heard first-hand testimony of him committing acts of sexual abuse between 2016 and 2024.

Based on 27-year-old Syrian refugee Nada, he stated he would solely give her help if she went to an empty flat with him. “Should you do not, I will not provide you with something,” she says Mr Karagoz advised her. Once more, her title has been modified to guard her anonymity.

She was along with her sister-in-law and says they stormed out. However determined to supply for her household, she explains she did not know the place else to show, so went again.

On one event, Nada says Mr Karagoz took her behind a curtain to get nappies for her son the place “he tried to the touch my breasts”.

One other time, she says that “he got here from behind and grabbed my hand… he pressured me to the touch his genitals”.

Afraid of the stigma hooked up to sexual abuse and scared she can be blamed, Nada says she did not really feel she might inform anybody, even her husband.

The third girl who advised the BBC that Mr Karagoz had assaulted her is Batoul, who has since moved to Germany.

A single mom, she too says she went to him for assist. “After I turned away to select up the help, he put his arms on my bottom,” she explains. “I left the help and walked out of the store.”

These testimonies weren’t the primary to floor towards Mr Karagoz.

In 2019 and 2025 he was accused of sexual harassment and assault, however on each events prosecutors determined there was inadequate proof to prosecute him. Police stated neither victims nor witnesses have been prepared to return ahead to make formal complaints.

Some ladies advised us they have been afraid testifying might result in them being harassed or deported.

However after the BBC investigation, it’s understood two different ladies got here ahead to report Mr Karagoz, and their testimony resulted in him being charged with sexual abuse. He’s now in jail awaiting trial.

Batoul says she is “actually glad” he has been arrested, “for myself and for all the ladies who’ve suffered in silence and could not converse out due to concern”.

She provides that she hopes it “provides braveness and power to all ladies who’re being exploited in any method”.

Earlier than he was arrested, we put the allegations made by Madina, Nada, Batoul and charity staff to Mr Karagoz.

He denied all of the accusations and claimed in the event that they have been true, extra ladies would have come ahead.

“Three folks, 5 folks, 10 folks [could complain]. Such issues happen,” he stated. “Should you stated 100, 200 [had accused me], then advantageous, then you possibly can consider I really did these issues.”

He additionally stated he had diabetes and hypertension and confirmed us a medical report with particulars of an operation in 2016 to take away his left testicle. This meant he was not in a position to carry out any sexual exercise, he stated.

Nonetheless a professor of urology and specialist in males’s sexual well being, Ates Kadioglu, advised the BBC that having one testicle eliminated “would not have an effect on somebody’s intercourse life”.

We put this to Mr Karagoz who insisted that sexual exercise was “not attainable for me”.

We additionally put it to him that sexual assault could also be motivated by a need for energy and management. He responded by saying: “I personally haven’t got such an urge.”

“All we did was good deeds and that is what we get in return.”

Sadettin Karagoz stated ladies who accused him of assault up to now did so as a result of he had reported them to the police for being concerned in unlawful actions.

All the ladies we spoke to denied they or their kin have been concerned with crime and the BBC has seen no proof to counsel that they have been.