12-Year-Old Burned With Cologne in Istanbul Bullying Case

On the evening of Sept. 18, 12-year-old B.A. was lured three streets away from his home in Arnavutköy's Anadolu neighborhood by two peers, aged 12 and 13. One child allegedly held him down while the other poured cologne on his back and ignited it with a lighter, succeeding on the second attempt.

The boy's nylon shirt melted onto his skin. He extinguished the flames by pressing his back against a parked car. The attackers put another shirt on him and took him home, telling his father he had fallen from a slide.

“They held my child, one poured cologne, the other lit it. The nylon shirt stuck to his back. They brought him home saying he fell from a slide.”

B.A. was hospitalized with third-degree burns and treated for 25 days. After discharge, he was readmitted when severe pain returned and he lost consciousness. His father, Kadir Arslan, filed a police complaint.

Police identified three children involved in the incident. One suspect, aged 13, was placed under house arrest. The other two, aged 12, were released under judicial control because they are below the age of criminal liability.

Arslan stated his son is also receiving psychiatric treatment alongside medication. He vowed to pursue the case through the Ministry of Justice, demanding accountability for the perpetrators.